Elvis Remixes #1 in Italy: Elvis Presley n.1 in the Italian album record sales chart. A dream that could become true for the first time in history for thousands of Italian fans of the King of Rock’n’Roll, 32 years after his death. On the 30th of October the new official Elvis’s album “Re:Mixes” will be released and since days an unstoppable word of mouth has been spreading all over the Internet to go to buy the record in the shops on the day of the release or the day after, so that the highest possibile number of copies sold will concentrate in the same week and be counted for the official album sales chart.

If many copies of the new album will be bought in those two days (October 30th and 31st), there are serious chances that Elvis Presley’s new album “Re:Mixes” will enter the album chart straight at n.1.

“The number one in the chart would be a fantastic and historical event – people say at Milan’s official Elvis’s fan club “One Night With Elvis”, among the leaders of the word of mouth. - This news would go around the world and would make all Italian fans pride. It would also be a perfect tribute to Elvis, whose music keeps on giving us great emotions”.

In the meantime the word of mouth is spreading rapidly, expecially since people heard that Mike Stoller, legendary producer for Elvis of hits such as “Jailhouse Rock” and “Hound Dog” among many others, said the new album is “amazing”. The stores are getting a lot of pre-orders and considering the fact that Elvis Presley’ “Re:Mixes” will be the first album in history to be sold on a new media called VinylDISC (a special CD made of Vinyl that can be played also on a turntable), becoming therefore a valuable item for any record collection, it’s sure the album will be a hit. And who knows, maybe Elvis is ready to amaze all. (News, Source: EP Gold)

Elvis's Speedway jacket plus more at auction: The announcements for upcoming auctions with Elvis items are following each other in a fast tempo. On November 21, the Hard Rock Café in New York will be the location of the 'Music Icons' auction, hosted by Juliens Auctions.

Understanding Elvis: The sea change in the perception – and the demographics – of Elvis’s spirituality can perhaps be traced to the release of Paul Simon’s hugely successful Graceland album of 1986. That haunting title song – about a pilgrimage by an urban sophisticate in pain, a guy who’s “blown apart” by the loss of love, going to Graceland with “the child of my first marriage”, seeking some kind of secular spiritual succor for his pain at the place where the pain-racked body of Elvis Presley finally came to rest – suggested that the grace of Graceland was something accessible to all.

Similarly, Elvis culture has transcended the camp ridicule, the kitschy condescension, the hostile tell-all bios (whose portraits of a burned-out wreck of a burning love, crucifying himself with pills and self-pity, only fuelled the compelling power of his suffering savior image). The pilgrimage to Graceland has become a way for all kinds of Americans to come to terms with all kinds of pain and loss.

Not a chance: A cry began to build from the audience. A few yelled: No! No! Do Hurt! But most simply cried out, Hurt! A chant began to build: Hurt! Hurt! Hurt! And it continued until he relented and sang it.

Hurt! Hurt! Hurt! It was a demand, a song request, yes, but in a sense it was more than that: It was a self-diagnosis. It was Elvis fans expressing what they, commoners, shared with the King: hurt. The pain of their lives, of life itself, a pain that was acute and unappeasable, whether experienced in

Graceland or a trailer park; the kind of pain that pills and religions seek to minister to, the kind of pain that is the true source of the growing reach of the Elvis faith.

…………………………………

Charles Reagan Wilson, professor of history at Ole Miss and author of Judgment and Grace in Dixie: Southern Faiths from Faulkner to Elvis, says that for Elvis’s religiously inclined followers, he occupies a kind of intermediary realm that “blurs the boundaries between the supernatural and the sacred, something like the way UFOs do for believers.” (That) Elvis is a figure more than human, less than divine, with elements of St. Francis of Assisi and E.T.

Source: Excerpts from “Elvis, Healer (In Which the Hurt, the Lame, and the Tenured Seek the Graceland Within)” in The Secret Parts of Fortune, a compilation of articles by celebrated Yale graduate, Ron Rosenbaum, whose intellectual investigative journalism has taken him from unresolved controversies among Hitler biographers and Egyptian heretics to the ghost of Lee Harvey Oswald and being the only writer banned from Starbucks.

24 Karat Hits And Elvis Is Back On SACD And 45 Vinyl: Steve Hoffman posted on his website that the albums "Elvis 24 Karat Hits" & "Elvis Is Back" will be re-issued on Super Audio CD and 45 vinyl.

This is his posting: Don't know if this is a secret or not but the "Elvis 24 Karat Hits" album that I compiled for DCC back in the 1990's is coming out again on vinyl (12" 45 RPM) and SACD dual layer by Acoustic Sounds/Analogue Productions. "Elvis Is Back" (as wonderfully engineered by Bill 'DC to light' Porter in RCA-Victor's "Nashville Sound Studio B") is going to be reissued on both as well.

I will be doing the "Elvis 24 Karat Hits" remastering at AcousTech/Record Tech with Kevin Gray, from scratch again and it looks to be a bear of a job. Great music though.

Something to look forward to if you like Elvis. Also, the great "Elvis Is Back" album (his first album after the army) will be mastered at Sterling in NY from the "dash 1" stereo first generation tapes, flat (L2WY-1967-1 and L2WY-1968-1). Same tapes I used for the DCC. I think the DCC metal parts for the vinyl were reused somewhere in the world for a current pressing of "Elvis Is Back" so the old DCC is still available as well. The new AP version should be a different approach than my old DCC tube cutting so we'll see what happens! (News, Source: Elvis News/ Steve Hoffman)

Elvis's popularity stifled by poor management and blinkered record company marketing: Several years ago, music writer Brian W. Fairbanks wrote a thoughtful article about Elvis’ pervasive presence in society, “Elvis is Everywhere”. In it, Fairbanks directed criticism at both Colonel Parker and RCA........

His unrivaled popularity, even in death, is proof that talent and charisma are more important to stardom than marketing or management. Elvis had the worst manager of them all in the form of Colonel Tom Parker, a con man to whom many give undue credit for Presley’s success. But Parker latched on to Presley only after the star had conquered the South in ways unseen since the Civil War. Parker rode Presley’s coattails to glory while creating hurdles that his client had to overcome.

The long string of mindless movies that wasted the star’s talent for almost a decade were Parker’s idea. And if Parker had had his way, the 1968 TV special that rescued Elvis from

Hollywood’s manipulative and destructive claws would have been a cozy, mild-mannered hour of Christmas carols rather than the dynamic showcase for Elvis’s talents that it became.

Nor did RCA Victor, the record company that bought his contract from Sun Records, provide him with much support. The label treated its biggest star as little more than a steady source of predictable profits. Knowing his records would always sell a minimum number of copies, the company rarely gave his albums and singles the promotional push that would have increased his existing fan base. Until his death, his RCA contract required him to crank out three albums a year at a time when major artists were considered prolific if they released only one in the same time period. With Presley product flooding the market, it’s little wonder that after 1972’s “Burning Love,” his singles consistently failed to crack the top ten and his albums stalled below the half million mark needed for gold certification.

covering South America, North America, the far east, Middle East, Europe and Australasia.

We also feature an ultra rare and unusual film poster from Israel, one of the rare "Miltary" posters used for films screened on miltary bases and

two Italian posters for Kid Galahad where the emphasis is on co-star Charles Bronson rather than the amusingly named "Elvy Presley".

Take a virtual tour of Circle G Ranch: The Elvis Ranch is for sale for a cool $6.5 million, but anyone with an Internet connection can take a virtual tour.

The 155-acre property just across the Tennessee-Mississippi state line in Horn Lake, Miss., is officially known as the Circle G Ranch. Elvis Presley owned it from 1966 to 1971. He and Priscilla honeymooned there in 1968, and the building known as the "honeymoon cottage" still stands today.

Prudential Collins-Maury Realtors agent Rodger Motz, who is handling the sale, said calls have come from as far away as Denmark.

To see the ranch, go to visualtour.com and type in property number 0201-2316. (News, Source: Sanja Meegin)

Elvis Presley's massive 10ct diamond concert gift ring hits the auction block. Gifted to fan Lloyd Perry in Asheville N.C. at concert in 1975. This one-of-a-kind piece of Elvis Presley memorabilia will be sold at auction December 6th, 2009. Ring is conveyed with complete file of provenance and guarantee of authenticity.

A most unique and original piece of Elvis Presley entertainment memorabilia.

Gifted to the consignor, Mr. Lloyd Perry, by Elvis Presley during his concert in Asheville, NC. On July 24th, 1975. This was the last stop of Elvis Presley's concert tour. Four songs in to his 1.5 hour show Elvis tossed his Gibson guitar in to the audience. Mr. Perry and the gentleman seated to his right simultaneously caught the guitar. After strumming it a bit, Mr. Perry allowed the other gentleman to have the guitar.

The ring is conveyed with a complete file of provenance from consignor Lloyd Perry, to include; autographed copy of Lee Cotten's book "Did Elvis sing in your hometown too 1975" (gift event referenced on page 208), 3 copies of The Asheville Citizen-Times and Bristol Herald Courier with feature stories about the ring gift event, in excess of 40 original photographs of the event as it occurred and others of Elvis wearing the ring in other venues, original tickets from the concert and a signed letter of authenticity from Consignor Lloyd Perry.

The following tells how the consigner became the owner of this ring, in his own words:
"Elvis was coming to Asheville, N.C. for 3 nights on July 22nd, 23rd, 24th 1975. A friend of mine got us tickets for the 24th and believe it or not it was front row seats, right in the middle of the stage. I could reach out and touch him we were so close. Of course when Elvis came out the crowd went wild. We noticed he kind of looked at our group there in the front. Maybe it was the light and he could see us. Well, 2 or 3 songs into the show he turned, walked back to the center of the stage, and then turned around and threw his guitar toward me and this other guy seated next to me. We both caught it and played around with it. It was an old scratched up Gibson guitar, with Elvis Presley written in pearls down the neck.

Although the other guy kept the guitar, I think Elvis wanted me to have it. After a couple more songs, all of a sudden my wife nudged me and said Elvis is motioning for you to come to the stage. Well, I looked up and went to the stage to shake hands with him, and to my absolute surprise, he was trying to put this ring on my pinky finger. I got him to put it on my ring finger while I was shaking like a leaf. I then went back and sat down. I remember the crowd was going wild. Afterwards Elvis walked back across the stage, shrugged his shoulders and said "aw what's $16,000". Well, that night Elvis gave away his Gibson guitar and the ring, and the night before is when he gave JD Sumner the horse shoe ring. An amazing night I will never forget." Consignor: Lloyd Perry (News, Source: Sanja Meegin/PRWeb)

Elvis tumbles down list of Top Earning Dead Celebrities: While it was no surprise that Michael Jackson surpassed Elvis on this year's Forbes list of the Top Earning Dead Celebrities, Elvis placing at #4 was a surprise as were the top two positions:

Yves Saint Laurent was the highest-earning dead celebrity last year, making $350 million (£213 million), according to the annual list compiled by Forbes.com.

The fashion designer was followed by the composers Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein with $235 million, and Michael Jackson at $90 million.

Elvis Presley, who has topped the list seven times since its creation in 2001, was fourth with $55 million.

Matthew Miller, the editor of the list, forecast that Jackson would rise in the coming year.

“He will make tens of millions because he has lucrative publishing rights and rights to all his memorabilia,” he said.

The rankings assess the earning power of dead celebrities, including musicians, authors, actors and songwriters. (News, Source: Times Online)

EPE Fan Club Update about New York function: EPE says: Please let your fan club members know about this special event to which they, along with the Elvis Insiders are invited.

Hamilton is celebrating the Elvis Ventura Anniversary Collection with an exhibit and cocktail reception on November 3rd from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. at the Tourneau Time Machine on 57th Street in New York City.

You must RSVP by 10/30/09 by e-mailing rsvp@swatchgroup.com Please help us get the world out to fan club members and Elvis Insiders.

Elvis auction - Ginger's ring controversy: The auctions with Elvis memorabilia are following each other in a fast tempo. The renovated American auction house Heritage Auctions organises several auctions each year with large lots of entertainment memorabilia. On November 5, 45 Elvis related items will be offered for auction. There are no real big eay catchers this time. The item with the highest estimated value is a diamond ring Elvis gave to his girlfriend Ginger Alden. According to Ginger, it is her engagement ring. Elvis entourage denies this, because he would have no plans to ask Ginger to marry him. Despite this, it still is a beautiful piece of jewelry, with an estimated value of $30,000 (€20.000). (News, Source: Elvis News/ Elvis Matters)

EIN Note: See our earlier news item dated 17 October. Despite Ginger's claim, it appears the ring being offered for sale is not what is claimed!

Finally, Kurt Russell “Elvis biopic” to see DVD release: After a number of false starts, it appears that finally, the critically acclaimed, although factually strained, “Elvis” from Director, John Carpenter and starring, Kurt Russell, will see a DVD release.

Elvis Unlimited reports that: Shout! Factory is preparing to release to DVD from the Dick Clark Productions vault: the 1979 TV movie Elvis. Under the agreement, Shout! Factory has exclusive U.S. and Canada home entertainment distribution rights.

Elvis, directed by John Carpenter, starred Kurt Russell as Elvis Presley in a biopic of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. The film also stars Shelly Winters as Elvis’ mother and Pat Hingle as Col. Tom Parker.

Elvis Bootleg Vinyl book release: EP Gold reports: Exciting news .... around June next year a book will be released about bootleg vinyl. This will become THE vinyl bootleg bible with pics of all records in FULL COLOR!!

Right now, more than 1200 different releases have been scanned for the book and the makers are still looking for more! The book is a coproduction of 5 big collectors in Europe. This new book will be like "Jailhouse Rock" by Cotton/DeWitt.

Retired AP reporter Neuerbourg, who interviewed Elvis, dies at 88

:

Hanns Neuerbourg, a roving Associated Press correspondent in eastern Europe who also covered the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and interviewed Elvis Presley, has died in Switzerland. He was 88.

Neuerbourg, who was born in Germany, had moved to the northern Swiss city of Stein following his retirement from the AP in 1991. He died Saturday in a nearby hospital where he was undergoing treatment for lung cancer, said his friend, Barbara Hespe.

Robert H. Reid, AP's news director for Afghanistan and Pakistan and its bureau chief in Kabul, said Neuerbourg was a real standout.

"Hanns was an incredible journalist, a man with eclectic tastes, an amazing grounding in languages and a lively intellectual curiosity," said Reid, who knew Neuerbourg going back to the 1970s when they both covered central and eastern Europe.

Neuerbourg covered the 1967 war between Israel and Arab forces in the Middle East, reporting from Jordan and Egypt, and the Prague Spring in Czechoslovakia. He was in Geneva when the Soviets invaded and he had to make several attempts to enter Czechoslovakia from Germany before finally finding a way in through Austria.

He was briefly bureau chief in Cairo until he was expelled for breaking the news that the Soviet Union was rearming Egypt.

As Geneva bureau chief, Neuerbourg covered disarmament, the Afghan talks and other issues. He also interviewed personalities such as violinist and conductor Yehudi Menuhin and pianist Arthur Rubinstein.

Victor Simpson, AP's bureau chief in Rome, who knew Neuerbourg from decades of covering the pope, recalled him as "an extremely cultured man. I remember his fascination with his meetings with Yehudi Menuhin."

He was impressed with how down to earth Presley was when he interviewed him in his villa while Presley was on U.S. Army duty in Germany in the late 1950s. And Elvis vehemently rejected his commander's suggestion that he extend his tour of duty. He said his father and manager wouldn't stand for it.

(News, Source: Associated Press)

Cotton Club to re-open its doors: Elvis once played there and now the legendary Cotton Club in Lubbock will soon open its doors once again.

The club, located at 64-10 East U-S 84 will open with a Halloween concert by a local band this Saturday.

The rebuilt venue was constructed after the original burned down in the early 60s. Elvis Presley, Fats Domino and Little Richard are among the greats who performed at the original club more than 50 years ago.

The owner is hoping the club's history will attract the interest of touring and local bands. it won't be completely finished by Halloween but it's a chance to get a sneak peak.

New Elvis Fashion Exhinit for Graceland Crossing in 2010: EPE is now working on a logo for the new exhibit being developed by the Archives department scheduled to open at Graceland Crossing in March 2010, replacing Private Presley.

This exciting new exhibit titled "Elvis Presley: Fashion King" will allow visitors to get a glimpse inside Elvis Presley's closet, exploring fashion trends set by the king of Rock 'n' Roll himself, with his unique style and custom made clothing. See the evolution of Elvis' outfits, from an artist's sketch to the final product. The exhibit will showcase everything from Elvis’ handmade shirts and suits to his iconic stage wear and flashy jewelry, showing visitors why Elvis was considered a fashion trend setter in his time.

As part of the logo development process, Elvis Insiders have the opportunity to have a voice in the decision of which photo will be used to promote the exhibit. If you are an Insider, please go to the "Elvis Question and Answer" forum, and vote for your number 1 choice. (News, Source: EPE)

provides details of how readers can obtain one of the last remaining copies of this long, out-of-print, Elvis collectible.

Elvis had a major interest in the subject of unidentiofied flying objects and Guyll and Vaculig noticed something striking about one of Elvis' concert belts. What they noticed led them to explore the issue of Elvis and UFO's and finally resulted in one of the most thought provoking Elvis books ever written.

and learn more about one of Elvis' largely ignored interests and the intriguing idea of Elvis and alien abductions!

Aggressive Keselowski takes home Elvis: An aggressive Brad Keselowski won his fourth Nationwide Series race of the season, banging his way to victory in the Kroger On Track For The Cure 250 at

MemphisMotorsportsPark on Saturday afternoon.

Keselowski was involved in at least three incidents in the race, the last when he bumped Carl Edwards with a handful of laps remaining. Keselowski then got the lead when he whipped past the front row of Michael Annett and Tony Raines on a restart with 12 laps to go. He then held off Nationwide points leader Kyle Busch on a green-white-checkered restart to secure the win. Keselowski picked up an extra $75,000 from Nationwide as part of its Dash 4 Cash program. He won a $25,000 bonus for winning the race and $50,000 for scoring the most points in the four Dash 4 Cash races.

But the most prized possession was the last-in-its-series Elvis trophy that track officials award race winners. Keselowski carried it to the postrace news conference and planned on taking it with him on the plane ride home.

"I've got this Elvis—man, I really wanted that trophy bad, just as bad as I wanted the Dash 4 Cash," Keselowski said. "To be able to finally get it today is a special thing."

(News, Source: Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service)

JAT Publishing going retail!: JAT Publishing has announced an exclusive deal with Music City Distribution. The new Jailhouse Rock book will be distributed solely by Music City Distribution.

They will also handle retail sales once the book is released. The release date for Jailhouse Rock has been moved to mid-November.

Finally look for JAT's four play for 2010 to celebrate its 23rd year with:

Aussie chart update: On tomorrow's ARIA Top 50 Music DVD Chart, Elvis The King of Rock 'n' Roll continues its impressive run in the chart rising one spot to #31. The DVD has been on the chart for 76 weeks, with a high of #4 and is certified 2xP. (News, Source: ARIA)

More budget CD releases: This is another edition of the Swedish "Elvis I Svenska Oero" CD/e-Book which was originally released July 21, 2009 but is now available in Germany.

1. The Rosella Presley Story - Genealogist Lorina Bolig has sorted through the fact and the fiction, and what her research reveals is not what anyone expected, including possible evidence of at least one marriage for the mysterious Rosella, who was Elvis' maternal Great, Grandmother. Lorina's article reads like a mystery novel with many twists and turns. A great read about one of the more colorful and little known about of Elvis' ancestors.

2. Interview: Dan Guyll: Dan Guyll, co-author of one of the world rarest and most interesting Elvis related books, Elvis UFO Non-fiction Account of Alien Intervention, talks to EIN about the fascinating theory behind the book and provides details on how readers can obtain the last remaining copies of this long out of print collectible Elvis book!

3. Elvis Film Posters and Lobby Cards from Around the World: EIN has compiled a photo-article looking at more than 50 rare Elvis film posters and lobby cards from countries as diverse as Israel, Argentina, Yugoslavia, Spain, France, Italy, England, Australia, Germany, the USA and Turkey. Colorful and intriguing, these posters and lobby cards are an important part of the Elvis story. Our photo-article also includes two posters from Italy of Il Carnefice del Ring (Kid Galahad), incredibly headlining Charles Bronson rather than Elvis!

4. Book Review - Ancestors of Elvis Aaron Presley: 50 Generations (Revised and edited edition, 2009): EIN has got lost inside the 800+ pages of Ancestors of Elvis Aaron Presley: 50 Generations. So much information, so many revelations. This is the definitive Elvis genealogy!

5. New competition!!!!!! - Courtesy of the authors, win a copy of Elvis UFO Non-fiction Account of Alien Intervention.

6. And of course, all the latest news from around the Elvis world!

Saturday 24 October 2009

Graceland announces holiday season:

Graceland officially begins the holiday season on Friday, November 20th with the annual lighting of the lights and decorations on the mansion and plaza property. After a countdown by everyone in attendance, the ceremonial switch is flipped at approximately 6PM CT as Graceland’s holiday splendor comes alive for another season. The special lighting ceremony will take place at the front gates of Graceland. (*Please note that 11/20 is the Friday before the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.)

For those of you who can't be in Memphis for the ceremony, it will be streamed live on Elvis.com. More details and a link to the page will be posted when they are available.

The extensive spectacle includes hundreds of blue lights along the driveway, a life-size Nativity scene, Santa and his sleigh and much more originally displayed by Elvis and the Presley family. Santa will be available for pictures with the kids throughout the evening’s festivities.

The interior of Graceland mansion will also be decked in Elvis’s Christmas décor for the holiday season and includes his traditional red velvet drapes and Presley family Christmas artifacts on display around the decorated trees.

Graceland's Holiday decorations may be enjoyed as part of regular daily tours of Graceland in addition to the night of the lighting ceremony.

For more information and to book your holiday tour of Graceland or to see the holiday lights from the LIVE GracelandCam visit www.elvis.com or call 901-332-3322.

Presley Heights Museum in Tupelo needs fan support - TCB Tour Bus being held hostage: Bill Kinard from the Presley Heights Commission advises EIN that the financial backer for the museum has reneged on an apparent previous agreement that funds could be repaid over time and is effectively holding the TCB Tour Bus hostage outside Tupelo.

Consequently Bill needs to raise between $500,000 and $1,000,000 and is hoping fans will hop aboard the TCB Tour Bus by donating whatever they can afford or contributing $150.00 to have their name engraved on the Fans Forever Memorial Wall. Visit the Presley Heights Commission websites:

Is Elvis alive? and does he have a sister?:She claims to be the sister of the king of rock and roll and she believes Elvis Presley is still alive.

Eliza Presley was adopted at birth and says when she started a mission to find out who her biological parents were, she never imagined her journey would take her to Memphis. What stunned her even more was that after some DNA comparisons, Eliza said she learned she was not only related to Elvis Presley, she was his half-sister.

She claims DNA tests have confirmed she was fathered by Elvis’s dad, Vernon Presley. Even more astounding is that Eliza asserts the tests proving her relation to the king of rock and roll also proves he’s still alive.

She says her DNA was compared to a man claiming to be Elvis, who’s DNA just happens to match both sides of Elvis’s family tree.

"It just took my breath away and I looked at it and I said are you sure and he said oh yeah, there's no doubt about it. I said you have got to be kidding me, this person's my brother,” Eliza "[I] didn't expect it - not by a long shot."

Eliza took it to mean only one thing – Elvis lives.

"For him to turn out to be alive, it's such a blessing and I'm so grateful for that."

Today Eliza say she is thrilled to be able to talk to her brother she never knew she had, although she is not sure the public will ever see or hear from him again.

"I don't know if ultimately he will. I highly doubt it,” Eliza said. “He's tried to live as much of a ‘normal life’ as you can live over the last 32 years."

Eliza says the DNA profiles proving her relation to Elvis are currently under seal in court documents.

She filed a petition in August to have Vernon Presley officially acknowledged as her father.

Friday night Eliza was the featured guest at an Elvis Celebration at the Rib River Ballroom in Marathon.

Memphis in 'Vlaanderen Vakantieland': The Belgian singer Andrea Croonenberghs has made a series of small documentaries about famous cities in the world that are important in the music industry.

These items will be broadcasted in the travelshow 'Vlaanderen Vakantieland' on Belgian TV. The serie is called 'Rock-n-Road' and will start on November 21.

The episode from November 28 will be about Memphis. Andrea will visit the Sun Studios, Graceland and Tupelo. (News, Source: Elvis Matters)

More Elvis Week Birthday Special Guests Announced: EPE has announced........

We are excited to announce additional guests that will be appearing during Elvis' Birthday Celebration in January. In addition to the appearance of Barbara Hearn-Smith at Conversations on Elvis and Marlyn Mason at the Fan Club Presidents' Event, the following guests will also be joining us:

Annie Helm, Gavin Koon and Robin Koon from Follow That Dream
Elvis Insiders Reception and TourAnnie, Gavin and Robin all co-starred along side Elvis in the film Follow That Dream.
Joe Moscheo and Terry Blackwood from Elvis' Imperials
Elvis Insiders Reception and TourThe Imperials worked on a regular basis with Elvis on stage and in the recording studio from 1969 until the latter half of 1971, a major highlight of their collaboration with him was the 1971 recording of He Touched Me, an album that earned Elvis his second Grammy Award. The Imperials' current and former members are recent inductees into Gospel Music Association's Hall of Fame.

Guy Harris
Conversations on Elvis Guy was a lifelong friend of Elvis, growing up in Tupelo with him. Guy's mother and Gladys were best friends. Guy will be sharing some of his favorite stories from growing up with Elvis at Conversations on Elvis.

Sam Bell
Conversations on Elvis
Sam was friends with Elvis in Tupelo. He has many fun stories and memories to share of growing up together there.

Tickets for Elvis' Birthday Celebration events are on sale now. Click here for more information.

The MED Foundation partners with Morgan Freeman to raise funds for The Elvis Presley Memorial Trauma Center:EPE has annonced:

On Saturday, June 6, Morgan Freeman, Oscar-winning film star and Mid-South native, hosted “Zero to 60” at the Hard Rock Café on Beale Street in Memphis. The event raised more than $60,000 for The MED’s Elvis Presley Memorial Trauma Center, which is celebrating its 25th birthday this year. Funds raised from the event will purchase new equipment and provide training for front-line medical staff. Co-presenting sponsors of “Zero to 60” were News Channel 3 WREG and Crothall Services Group. MED Foundation Board member Ham Smythe and wife Julia with Morgan Freeman

Morgan Freeman, who witnessed first-hand the trauma center’s extraordinary care, wanted to show his support by lending his star power to The MED Foundation event.

“We were delighted with the turnout for this event and Mr. Freeman’s involvement,” said Tammie Ritchey, Executive Director of The MED Foundation. “Not only were we able to meet our fund-raising goals, but thanks to Mr. Freeman, a lot more people know about the excellence of our trauma center,” said Ritchey.

Friday 23 October 2009

The World's Most Photographed: The National Portrait Gallery and the BBC present an exhibition and television series that have for the first time been jointly developed by the two organisations. The World's Most Photographed is a completely integrated project consisting of an exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery of around 100 photographs, a BBC TWO series and an associated book exploring the way photography has been used and manipulated to construct the image of 10 figures from history.

The World's Most Photographed is an in-depth and wide-ranging exploration of how photography has been used throughout history in the pursuit of fame and power: how it has been controlled and managed in the creation of pin-ups such as Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley.

How Mahatma Ghandi used it in a sophisticated way to create an image of simplicity and integrity which would help to undermine the British Empire; and how it was turned into a sinister tool of mass manipulation by Adolf Hitler as he launched his deadly assault on humanity and civilisation.

By unearthing photographs which have previously been lost or suppressed, together with more familiar images and those that were simply allowed to slip from view, the exhibition and television series explore the power of the image and the nature of iconography, going beyond the often carefully constructed public image to reveal much more about the personalities, lives and intentions of the subjects.

Highlights include:

Muhammad Ali - the remarkable photographs that lay hidden in a drawer for 25 years…

James Dean - an extraordinary series of macabre photographs, unreleased for over 30 years…

Greta Garbo - did she really "want to be alone"?… images of a star who turned away from the camera….

Audrey Hepburn - how the deprivations of her war-torn childhood shaped her career as actress and prepared her for a far-reaching role with Unicef…

Marilyn Monroe - how the first American goddess used photography to create a phenomenon, how a single image threatened to destroy her, and how for one day in New York, it showed her at her happiest…

Elvis Presley - how a schoolboy outwitted The King's controlling manager, scooped the world's press and sold his unique snaps of Elvis in the school canteen…

Queen Victoria - how photography played a vital role in defining her sovereignty and defending her against a rising tide of republicanism; how it re-established her supremacy after a decade of seclusion; and how she preserved the memory of Prince Albert in the years after his death…

Mahatma Gandhi - how he manipulated his appearance to bind his nation, how he used photography to challenge and undermine the British Empire and to create a new identity for India…

Adolf Hitler - how the Nazi dictator at first mistrusted photography greatly but then came to understand and utilise its power to project the image of a powerful leader and further his horrific plans for world domination…

John F Kennedy - how, in a new dawn for America, photography created and sustained the myths of 'Camelot' and concealed the President's frailties and infidelities…

One PLUS ONE book release: Released September 28, 2009 by A-Books in Japan is the book "One Plus One" written by Hiroshi Moeinaga (ISBN-10: 4902256231 / ISBN-13: 978-4902256239). (News, Source: Elvis News/Elvis World Japan)

New Elvis Museum opens in Vegas: The King’s Ransom Museum just opened in Las Vegas, and it features one-of-a-kind Elvis Presley memorabilia.

The museum opened Wednesday on the third floor of the Imperial Palace. The multi-million dollar collection has pieces from Elvis' personal life and his acting and singing career from the ‘50s to the ‘70s.

It features a 1977 Lincoln Continental, clothes, jewelry and even a bed used by The King.

"We would always sit down and say, ‘This really belongs in a casino in Vegas,’ ‘cause Elvis was Las Vegas, you know, and so basically, with the help of some good people, that's what happened. And here we are at the Imperial Palace, and we're so excited to be here," said Russ Howe, of The King’s Ransom Museum.

The exhibit is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week and costs $10. (News, Source: Fox5 News)

‘Elvis … The King and Me’ not ready for prime time: Based on a title that slyly references the musical theater classic “The King and I,” one might have high hopes for “Elvis … The King and Me.” It’s the second show in City Stage’s season-opening trilogy of “legends” musicals featuring Patsy Cline (which has finished its run), Hank Williams (opening Oct. 28) and, of course, The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Elvis Presley.

The high-energy Jay Stewart wrote and stars in “Elvis … The King and Me,” a one-man show at City Stage in downtown Wilmington.

“The King and Me” was brought to Wilmington from Massachusetts, where Jay Stewart, the writer and star of the one-man show, enjoyed a successful run of several months at a theater in Cape Cod. Unfortunately, the show at City Stage directed by Nina Schuessler doesn’t live up to the excellence its namesake embodied.

It is an intriguing concept: Stewart uses the songs of The King to musically illustrate the love rollercoaster he endured as a 13-year-old eighth-grader in love with a girl named Susie Pyzyrski. When the flames of passion are strong it’s a hunk-a hunk-a “Burning Love.” But when she drops a note he writes her unopened into his locker, it’s “Return to Sender.”

And it actually works for a while, as Stewart evokes the tumultuous days of junior high. Tonally, it’s comparable to the adult Ralphie commenting on his childhood in “A Christmas Story,” and Stewart is nothing if not high-energy, bouncing around the stage and sweating up a storm. But his cheesy mugging, multiple instances of faked laughter and overly broad attempts at physical humor fall flat and tend to disrupt what is, at times, a compelling story.

That story falls apart in the second act amid a whirlwind of Elvis songs. In the first act, the songs are worked into the story more organically, but in the second Stewart struggles to connect them to his material and it winds up feeling like an attempt to cram as many songs as possible into a musical that could use a few fewer tunes, not more.

Not that the music is bad. Music director Bob Wilder fires up the crowd with his boogie-woogie piano and Stewart is a good, but not great, singer whose delivery flirts with Elvis impersonation but doesn’t really go there. There are a few nice renditions from the Elvis canon, including a rather soulful take on “I Can’t Help Falling In Love With You” (a song that even mediocre singers can make stirring) and a dynamic “Devil in Disguise” that takes the first act out on a high note. But during too many numbers it feels like you’re watching an above-average karaoke performer strut his stuff.

Dated jokes about E.F. Hutton commercials (anyone remember those?) are hard to figure, but there are a few legitimate laughs, notably when Stewart talks about the “sawmill gravy” used to disguise cafeteria meat patties.

The staging is nothing to write home about – basically a couple of set pieces and bandstand backed by cool, abstract Elvis drawings – but there is some nice lighting and Stewart rocks some sharp-looking blue suede shoes.

If “Elvis … The King and Me” shed a half-dozen songs and tightened up its rather lackluster ending, it could be a solid, hourlong one-man show. As it is, it’s no hound dog, but it’s not anything to get all shook up about either.

(News, Source: John Staton: 343-2343

On Twitter.com: @StarNewsPlay)

COMING SOON TO EIN:

The Truth about Rosella Presley -

Scarlet Woman or Loving Mother?

DISPELLING THE MYTHS: AN ANALYSIS OF AMERICAN ATTITUDES AND PREJUDICES, Todd Rheingold

Synopsis: Significant analysis of the potent myth surrounding Elvis that he stole “the black man’s music” and was nothing more than an imitator. Well written and argued, Reingold paints a vivid picture of suspicion and hatred between Elvis and Black America and argues convincingly that Elvis represents America in miniature. Detailed citations throughout the book.

(Book Reviews, Source: Elvi

s In Print - The Complete Reference and Price Guide)

PETA asks to lease Circle G Ranch: The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals wrote a letter Wednesday proposing to lease Elvis Presley's old Circle G Ranch in Horn Lake for use as a "Don't Be Cruel Educational Center" for children.

"This would be a good way to let kids know the truth about how cows are suffering before they're turned into burgers or blue suede shoes," said PETA spokesman Ashley Byrne of Washington. The Circle G Ranch went up for sale a month ago with an asking price of $6.5 million, said real estate agent Rodger Motz, representing property owner Dennis McLemore. Motz said the current owner had looked into several uses for the land, including as a resort property or a residential development. Motz said it now is zoned for planned unit development, although McLemore keeps cattle on the land. He said he isn't sure how many cattle McLemore has. "I didn't count them, but there are a bunch of Black Angus." Motz said he has had inquiries from potential buyers across the United States and Europe, but is not close to agreeing to terms with anyone. And he said McLemore is "not interested in leasing it to those people," referring to PETA. (Source: Elvis Matters)

Flying High CD release:A new CD entitled "Flying High" has been released. The digipack is limited to 200 copies and contains Elvis Presley's evening show performance from July 3, 1973 as recorded in AtlantaGeorgia

The same show was released some time ago on Rainbow Records as "Stripped Of My Heart, My Soul".

Free CD with the next ELVIS MATTERS magazine: Although our next ElvisMatters Magazine won't be sent out before the end of November, still we have some GREAT news! All members will find a FREE bonus CD in their envelope. The magazine, of course, holds 68 full color pages with lots of exclusive stories and pictures, including no less than five unseen photos by Ed Bonja! So sign up today! (News, Source: Elvis Matters)

From 991.com: ELVIS PRESLEY/VARIOUS Williamson Music (Rare 1997 US
promotional-only 4-CD music publishing set, includes a disc
featuring 18 songs performed by Elvis Presley including
C.C. Rider, Don't Be Cruel, Kentucky Rain, Little Sister,
How The Web Was Woven and more. The other discs includes
songs from Rodgers & Hammerstein and another from Irving
Berlin, the final disc has music from various artists
including Rodgers & Hart, Ricky Ian Gordon and more - the
three discs which has music specific
AUD232.68 / £ 129.99 http://991.com/Buy/ProductInformation.aspx?StockNumber=183531&from=991_AG01D271-Fri

Thursday 22 October 2009

Teenager's Hero Vol. 2 and Elvis's June Tour 1973 announced: The Teenager's Hero publishing company has announced two new books; "Teenager's Hero Vol. 2" and a book on Elvis' June 1973 Tour.

The Press-release: The first one will be the follow up to the acclaimed and much discussed Teenagers’ Hero. The Second will be a different kind of project with focus on the June 1973 tour.

Teenagers’ Hero Publishing’s is proud to announce these two new books for next year; we want to take this occasion to say thanks to all the numerous people who bought the first volume of Steve Rino’s Teenagers’ Hero book.

The book has represented something really new in the Elvis’ book landscape, receiving positive reviews for specialist, website and overall single buyers from all over world.

We received some critics too, from people who expressed their opinion, comparing the book to an ordinary photo book or a biography… for all the people who bought the book that I have appreciated, they know that we are talking of something else, we don’t want to say that Rino’s work was perfect but we do recognise that the high quality of his work showed promise of future works, more appreciated.

Using the Kay Wheeler words direct to Steve << You certainly captured the 1956 Elvis Moment>> this was Steve Rino’s target and our personal high.

Despite only a small number of the first volume remaining, Rino is producing the second volume dedicated to the second part of 1956. To enhance the experience provided by the first book, whilst being both critic and supporter, we intend the following changes:

200 pages, as 400 pages limited the previous book due to expensive mailing cost.

Hardcover and Full Colour book as requested by many people

Improved quality of the photos used, due to a larger quantity of material available.

More attention to details to allow the reader to enjoy the text without looking for error.

We hope that you enjoy the result…

We want to say just a few words about the second book, we have started a new collaboration with the big collector Bob Rush, Rush’s big collection of Elvis’ photo’s from 1973 to 1977 gave us the idea and the possibility to plan the pressing of a book of the June 1973 tour certainly the best moment of Elvis in 1973.

Lastly the book will keep the same size and characteristics previously listed for the teen second volume, but will be a more ordinary photo book with more of 150 rare photos of the tour. We are yet to set the pressing date whilst both are still being worked on by the author. We will keep you updated with book layout and other details in the coming months.

Inside the web-site we post within the month all details possible to give a more complete preview of both books. Teenagers’ Hero Vol.1 is still available to order on the web or through your usual dealer, if you don’t yet have don’t miss the opportunity!

An Evolving Elvis CD release: The VB Records import label will release a new CD entitled "An Evolving Elvis". it features an unreleased show from November 26, 1971 as recorded at the Las Vegas International Hotel.

From the Press-release: The show itself is very enjoyable and also the sound is quite good for an audience recording.

There aren't surprises in the tracklist but Elvis delivering all songs in a great way.

As always, the VB Records label presenting this new product in a deluxe three panel longbook digipack with a collection of Elvis' pictures wearing his famous Green Cisco Kid Jumpsuit plus some International Hotel Memorabilia and an interesting newspaper clip with a review of that concert and reflections about the evolution of Elvis career…

Gary Pepper Elvis items auction subject to legal action: A nurse stole a dead man's Elvis Presley memorabilia and put it up for sale, the man's family says. The federal lawsuit reflects well on The King, who paid for medical care and lavished gifts upon Sterling Gary Pepper Jr., who suffered from cerebral palsy and was president of Presley's fan club. Among the keepsakes Presley gave Pepper were a gold jumpsuit, a lock of hair, a 1957 Chevy and autographed photos of Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable, according to the complaint.

The family says Presley paid for Pepper's nursing services, which were provided by defendant Nancy Pease Whitehead. After Elvis died in 1977, Pepper was moved to a home for disabled people in Iowa because the Presley estate would no longer pay Whitehead to take care of him, according to the complaint.

Pepper's cousin and closest relative, John Tate, says he decided to bring Pepper to California to be closer to family, and upon arriving at Pepper's Tennessee home, found the house empty. He claims Whitehead had removed all Pepper's belongings "without Mr. Pepper's nor anyone else's knowledge or consent." The family claims that Whitehead put the memorabilia up sale through Leslie Hindman Auctioneers, and has admitted that the items belonged to Pepper and were taken from his home.

Pepper died in 1980 and his family says they had no idea of the whereabouts of the memorabilia until they heard about the auction on the news. Chicago media have reported that Whitehead claims Pepper gave her the memorabilia, and will donate half of the auction proceeds to United Cerebral Palsy of the Mid-South. Hindman told CBS 2 that he thought the lock of hair alone could sell for up to $100,000, but hair it was sold at the Oct. 18 auction for $15,000.

Pepper's family accuses Whitehead and Leslie Hindman Auctioneers of conversion. They demand at least $75,000 and restoration of the property.

U.S. District Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer denied the family's motion for a temporary restraining order, but ordered Leslie Hindman to hold auction proceeds in escrow until the suit is resolved.

Pepper's family is represented by Jason Williams with Sawyier & Williams. The complaint does not state what happened to the gold jumpsuit. (News, Source: Elvis Unlimited)

2010 Birthday Guests announced: EPE is excited to announce some new special guests who will be at Elvis' Birthday Celebration. Follow That Dream co-stars Annie Helm, Gavin Koon and Robin Koon, along with Joe Moscheo and Terry Blackwood of Elvis' Imperials, will all be special guests at the Elvis Insiders Reception and Tour. In addition, Guy Harris, who grew up with Elvis in Tupelo, will be a featured guest at Conversations on Elvis. (News, Source: EPE)

Elvis Christmas 6 Pack: This is the cover for the six track Christmas compilation "Elvis' Christmas 6-pack" featuring the songs "Blue Christmas", "White Christmas", "Silent Night", "Here Comes Santa Claus", "Peace In The Valley" and "Santa Clause Is Back In Town".

DJ Spankox in Holland:The Italian DJ Spankox will visit the Dutch Elvis Corner Shop on October 24, 2009. That day you can ask him that one question you always wanted to ask him or get your Spankox remix CD signed.

The Official Larry Geller MySpace: Please send in your questions for the LIVE webcast coming up in November. Label the email "Webcast" for consideration. Thanks friends!

Elvis and Juliet: Mary Willard's Elvis and Juliet, which opened At the Grove in Upland on October 10th, will play an additional two weekends. Elvis and Juliet stars Fred Willard, (Best in Show, Everybody Loves Raymond, WALL-E, 100 appearances on The Tonight show With Jay Leno) as the self proclaimed "King of the Elvis Impersonators." He is joined by an award winning cast.

Directed by Ted Lange, the award winning director and actor who is best known as Issac the bartender on The Love Boat, Elvis and Juliet is a story of two worlds colliding in 1989, the last year of the old Vegas, the Rat pack Vegas. The son of an Elvis impersonator falls in love with the daughter of a Yale professor. The trouble begins when the Las Vegas father wants his son to join him in his Las Vegas revue, and the son wants to work for the government.

The performance this Saturday, October 24th will benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Los Angeles and the Inland Empire. $10 of each ticket will go to the organization. On Halloween, October 31st, the audience is invited to come in costume. There will be a special prize for the person who comes in the best Elvis costume.

Performances run through November 1st and are Saturdays at 7:29 pm and Sundays at 2:00 pm. Tickets to see Elvis and Juliet are $30 and $25, with senior and group rates available. Tickets can be purchased by calling (909) 920-4343, or by visiting The Grove's website at http://www.grovetheatre.com.

Tuesday 20 October 2009

The Unreachable Star: The forthcoming release from the "SR" label scheduled for the beginning of November is titled "The Unreachable Star" and will feature an unreleased show from Cincinnati November 11, 1971.

From the Press-release: As you are aware the SR Label concentrates on early unreleased 1970’s shows when Elvis was at his peak. In this our twelfth release, we are proud to present a great show, one of the best of the 1971 November tour. Having been imprisoned in the golden cage of Las Vegas and Lake Tahoe Elvis got the opportunity towards the end of the year to embark on his longest tour since 1957 and without doubt amongst the best of the 70’s.

Unlike 1969/70 the tour isn’t well covered with official releases so what we have in our hands gives us the possibility to hear the quality of a Presley show from this tour. Elvis’ activity on the stage is incredible and the vocals stretch his ability, he performs the best numbers in his repertoire from the last two years with practically no new songs. Elvis is so dynamic that sometimes he can’t control himself, but at the same time he is able to deliver his best repertoire, sometimes reinventing it to. We can imagine Elvis concentrating on the music to produce a great show. Elvis, singing straight to the audience, the performance is solid, long and rough; the 24 songs are presented superbly. Songs like Proud Mary, You’ve Lost the loving Feeling and Polk Salad Annie never sounded better; Elvis covers every period of his career from the classic oldies passing from the early sixties hits to the best of his comeback years. Toward the end perhaps the only surprise is the classic Hawaiian Wedding song.

The man looks, sings and moves in a great way. Elvis is performing at the height of his ability, Elvis is into his music. His focus, the attitude and his relationship with the music are evident which enables him to deliver a great show. This level remains throughout the tour here we have its peak. The idea to release a 1971 November show was present from the begin of the SR label, the research of a good tape to gives the pleasure of the listen has continued in the last four years, finally this summer we have what we were looking for. Despite the limitation of the binaural tape, we believe that overall for an early seventies recording it represents the best and the only way to listen and enjoy Elvis at his best.

This previously unreleased recording was taken from an early generation copy of the original master tape, as recorded by a member of the audience. All tracks were digitally restored for your best possible listening pleasure; the sound quality is incredibly good considering the early Tour. As usual from this label, this new CD will come in a deluxe digipack containing a collection of live photographs of the Cincinnati’ concert. Total running time 68.10 minutes.

A sad loss - young fan passes away: Larry Geller has forwarded the following message: "I am so saddened to report the passing of a very special Elvis fan, Brandy Stivers. She was very young and had been seriously ill for a long time; so ill that she was no longer able to visit

Graceland, although she wanted so much to return there once again. Brandy and I have been email friends for a couple of years, and the courage in her messages often brought tears to my eyes. She will be sorely missed by everyone who had the privilege of knowing her; this is a loss to the entire Elvis community.

"

CD Review – Child In The Ghetto (Mick Gerace with Tone-Z, James Burton and the Sweet Inspirations): The new single from Mick Gerace is now out.

Child In The Ghetto is a great contemporary take on In The Ghetto. From the opening sound of police sirens, through its punchy rap line and pounding backbeat, this is a potent 2009 mix - it is as powerful and relevant as In The Ghetto was in 1969.

Gerace's "Elvis" vocal is nicely complemented by Tone-Z's rap lyric, giving the song a fresh and engaging feel.

It is always a treat to listen to both guitar legend, James Burton, and the beautiful sound of the Sweet Inspirations, and their combined backing support to Gerace on Child In The Ghetto is a delight.

Gerace earlier released a contemporary remix of one of Elvis’ lesser known and largely unheralded recordings, I’ve Got A Feeling In My Body. Both this and Child In The Ghetto can be heard at www.myspace.com/mickgerace

If these tracks are a guide, Gerace’s upcoming and cleverly titled album, Geraceland, will be dynamite.

"They both have such a sweetness about them that it breaks our heart," she says of the girls, who celebrated their first birthdays on October 7.

"We want desperately to preserve their purity, love and trust for as long as we can before people and life cause the inevitable souring and contamination.

It is incredible that we all start out so pure, so genuine, happy and trusting."

Lisa Marie, 41, and her husband Michael Lockwood are raising Finley and Harper in England rather than Hollywood. She tells Hello! that the move has been a good one for the family, saying, "The civility, the culture, the people and its beauty have reawakened me and have smoothed out some of my bleak and jagged views about people and life."

Lisa Marie is also mom to daughter Riley, 20, and son Ben, 17 this month, from a previous relationship.

Edward and Elvis.....sometimes a salute is enough: Edward Perry Hart was born wanting to be a soldier, secured an appointment to West Point, played on a championship lacrosse team, sang in the choir, was on the debate team, became tank platoon leader for the 894th at Fort Knox, led a scout platoon for the 32nd Armor in Germany, led a company at Fort Hood, was promoted to captain, commanded an armored cavalry troop, was promoted to major, earned a bronze star and Gallantry Cross in Vietnam, taught military science at Arizona State University, was promoted to lieutenant colonel, earned master’s degrees in business and history, commanded a battalion in Germany, became deputy inspector general in Germany, led a unit training branch at Army headquarters in Europe, became inspector general at West Point, became a dean at the Armed Forces Staff College, retired as a colonel, taught at Tidewater Community College, worked as a military consultant, retired again in 1996, leads tours at the MacArthur Memorial, is active in his church, loves his wife, enjoys his eight children and nine grandchildren, sings baritone and has appeared in more than 30 local theater productions, including two walk-on roles with the Virginia Opera.

But the part of his biography that grabs everyone’s attention is four months in 1958, when he was Elvis Presley’s platoon leader.

Here are the details:

Elvis was drafted in 1957, got a deferment to finish filming “King Creole,” entered the Army in 1958, shipped out to Germany to join a tank battalion and could not pull guard duty because he would have been mobbed by German girls.

Hart did not shake Pvt. Presley’s hand, write down his personal phone number, get his autograph or like his songs.

Elvis saluted Hart, drove a jeep for a sergeant, cleaned bathrooms, and got along famously with everybody in the unit, according to “Soldier Boy Elvis,” which was written by Hart’s master sergeant, Ira Jones, and Bill E. Burk.

Hart attended meetings to discuss the problem of what to do with Pvt. Presley, was pleased that his man was never late for duty despite living off base and enjoyed listening to him and the men sing gospel songs one cold night on bivouac.

Notice that was “one” cold night. Also notice the single photograph of Pvt. Presley with Hart. It appears on an unnumbered page in the book “Elvis in the Army,” by William J. Taylor Jr., right before Chapter 5, with a caption that begins “A rotten, fuzzy photo of the Scout Platoon,” which is truth in advertising. It shows 32 men. Maybe 33. It really is fuzzy. Pvt. Presley is front row, third from the right. Hart is back row, far right, and part of him has been cropped out.

A number of men and tanks from the 32nd Armor appeared in Elvis’s 1960 film, “G.I. Blues.” Hart was not one of them, having rotated out of Germany in early 1959.

So, to recap: four months, no handshake, no autograph, no fan, no movie role. Some might say Hart missed his chance.

But there’s more to life than rock ’n’ roll. See first paragraph.

(News, Source:

Diane Tennant, The Virginian-Pilot)

Bassey! - Episode 2

- meeting Elvis: The second part of Radio 2's story of the "Tigress of Tiger Bay" follows Shirley Bassey through the 1960s, as she takes her chart-topping British success onto the world stage. Dame Shirley speaks to Paul Sexton about becoming a worldwide star - with a little help from James Bond - and about incredible adventures in America, singing for President John F. Kennedy and hanging backstage with King Elvis.

Last week's instalment ended in 1959 with Shirley Bassey at No.1 in the UK singles chart for the first time with As I Love You. Tonight we hear her second chart-topping 45, the double-sided Reach For The Stars and Climb Ev'ry Mountain, and many more of her best-known 60s recordings, such as What Now My Love, I (Who Have Nothing) and This Is My Life.

With such stirring performances, Bassey would secure her reputation as an artist who really lived her songs. The triumphs and tragedies of her private life gave her the rare ability to make the lyrics she was singing entirely believable: "There's something about my life in every one of my songs," she says in tonight's programme. "Pain and suffering, love won and lost, and all that. Been there. So I can sing about it."

Dame Shirley also reveals why, when she performed at JFK's inauguration, the audience laughed at her opening song. She also memorably describes meeting Kennedy as "shaking hands with lightning." Later, as a regular performer in Las Vegas, she would meet Elvis (with whom she shares a birthday) and she reveals what they got up to when she went to visit him backstage.

We'll also hear the signature Bassey songs Big Spender, Something and, of course, Goldfinger, with memories of that timeless 007 theme from its co-writer, John Barry, and the film's "Golden Girl" Shirley Eaton. Also contributing is her longtime friend Jimmy Tarbuck, who recalls playing "over the road" from La Bassey in Las Vegas.

Broadcast on:

BBC Radio 2, 7:00pm Friday 16th October 2009

Duration:

30 minutes

Available until:

7:32pm Friday 23rd October 2009

(News, Source: Mike, email)

Elvis Presley hair, used hankies sell at auction: AN auction of Elvis Presley memorabilia got bidders all shook up yesterday, with a clump of the late King of Rock and Roll's hair selling for $US18,300 ($19,990) and one of his shirts for $US62,000 ($67,700).

More than 150 items that had belonged to the former president of the Elvis Presley fan club went on the block at Chicago's Leslie Hindman auctioneers.

The priciest items included a red ultra suede shirt worn by Elvis, which was sold for $US34,000 and a monogrammed cream-coloured shirt that sold for $US62,000, according to the auction house's listing of post-auction sale prices.

Two concert-worn scarves sold for a combined $US2318.

A set of concert-used handkerchiefs went for $US732.

Presley's personal collection of single song mini-records, known as 45rpms, sold for $US3904.

Wedding and bridal shower photos of Elvis and wife Priscilla sold for nearly $US6000.

Personal letters from Elvis's relatives were also among the items auctioned, including a collection of letters from his estranged grandfather JD Presley ($US1159) and from his aunt ($US458).

The auction house did not provide details about the buyers.

(News, Source: Agence France-Presse) - see earlier news story below

Auction goes ahead after legal action dismissed: Elvis "lives'' -- for anyone who wants to buy some of his personal stuff.

An auction featuring a clump of Elvis' hair, a golden jump suit, his artworks and autographed record sleeves will go on as planned Sunday after a Chicago judge allowed the sale in spite of an objection by a man claiming to be a relative of one of Elvis' personal friends. The auction is at noon at Leslie Hindman Auctioneers, 1338 W. Lake.

The complaint, filed Friday in Cook County Circuit Court by John Tate, says the Elvis collection was stolen by a caretaker for Sterling Gary Pepper, who was president of Elvis' fan club and became friends with Presley. Tate, described in court documents as the late Pepper's closest relative, claims he didn't know where the collection was until he saw media reports of the auction.

Leslie Hindman, the founder of her namesake company, said Friday that she hasn't see any proof that the Elvis collection belongs to Tate. She said the caretaker has had the items for 30 years.

Single strands of Elvis' hair, taken from his famous haircut when he joined the U.S. Army in 1957, have sold for $100 each. (News, Source: Sandra Guy, Chicago Sun-Times)

Elvis Presley DVD Board Game: Pay Tribute to the King of Rock n’ Roll! Recapture and relive the life of Elvis Presley as you collect artifacts to create the greatest moments in Rock n’ Roll history!

Collect artifacts that match up to the ones on the Elvis cards and make it back to Graceland to win the game.

The game features authentic video footage, images and photos of Elvis that will take you from the Gates of Graceland to Heartbreak Hotel and will leave you All Shook Up! (News, Source: Elvis Matters)

Sillerman stock update - company Is not undertaking sale of stock at this time: Despite the earlier report (see next news item), Robert Sillerman is not shedding shares in his CKX company:

CKX, Inc. issued a statement this morning correcting the factual errors in an article that ran on the Dow Jones Newswires late in the afternoon on Wednesday, October 14.

The Company clarified that it is not selling any shares of common stock to the public at this time. CKX noted that Robert F.X. Sillerman, the Company`s Chairman and CEO, recently sold 7.85 million of his personally owned shares to a well-known investment fund at a price of $6.75 per share.

In order to allow the purchaser to obtain shares that are freely tradable, the Company agreed to register the shares with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The registration statement that was filed on Wednesday, and on which the inaccurate Dow Jones Newswires report was apparently based, was merely registering the shares purchased from Mr. Sillerman. It did not indicate a sale by the Company of any shares of stock.

Further, the $6.26 per share price quoted in the Dow Jones report has no bearing on any sale price of CKX's stock. It has nothing to do with the price at which Mr. Sillerman sold the stock, which was $6.75 per share. (Sale of EPE, Source: AP)

Will EPE and Graceland change hands?

: Chairman & CEO, 10% Owner of CKX Inc. (CKXE) Robert F X Sillerman sells 7,850,000 shares of CKXE on 10/09/2009 at an average price of $6.75 a share.

CKX Inc. is engaged in the ownership development and commercial utilization of entertainment content. CKX Inc. recently acquired 19 Entertainment Limited the United Kingdom-based company best known for creating the American Idol television program and a controlling interest in Elvis Presley Enterprises which owns and/or controls the commercial utilization of the name image and likeness of Elvis Presley. Ckx Inc. has a market cap of $561.89 million; its shares were traded at around $6.6 with a P/E ratio of 46.46 and P/S ratio of 1.95.

Recent Trades of CKX Inc. by Directors and Officers:

Sell: See Footnote 2 Lisa Marie Presley sold 7,443 shares of CKXE stock on 10/20/2009 at the average price of $4.77; the price of the stock has increased by 38.36% since.

Sell: See Footnote 2 Lisa Marie Presley sold 30,120 more shares of CKXE stock on 09/14/2009 at the average price of $6.06; the price of the stock has increased by 8.91% since.

Sell: See Footnote 2 Lisa Marie Presley sold 64,793 more shares of CKXE stock on 09/11/2009 at the average price of $6.07; the price of the stock has increased by 8.73% since.

Sell: See Footnote 2 Lisa Marie Presley sold 5,087 more shares of CKXE stock on 08/24/2009 at the average price of $7.06; the price of the stock has decreased by 6.52% since.

Sell: 10% Owner William R Huff sold 3,401 shares of CKXE stock on 08/13/2009 at the average price of $7.51; the price of the stock has decreased by 12.12% since.

Elvis flies in early to aid Aussie bushfire efforts: Elvis the helicopter - one of Victoria's key bushfire weapons - will commence duty a month earlier this year to help fire authorities be better prepared for the bushfire season.Environment and Climate Change Minister Gavin Jennings said the helicopter would be on the job from the third week of November.

The Elvis aircraft is an important weapon in combating fires and having it on stand-by earlier will be a bonus for Victorians, Mr Jennings said. The aircraft can drop large amounts of water, suppressant foam and retardant to extinguish fires in hard-to-reach locations. They also transport firefighters to difficult terrain.He also announced details of an additional $21 million being spent over the next four years to improve fire protection on public land around the urban interface of Melbourne.

The money would be used for 17 fire management staff, new equipment including eight slip-on vehicles, tractors, slashers and a chipper.Works will focus on improving existing fuel breaks, increased grass slashing and planned burning to protect assets and improve community safety. Mr Jennings said Elvis, an Erickson S-64F Aircrane helicopter, would be part of a comprehensive fleet of aircrafts that the state would have available during the bushfire season.

The fleet will feature 34-strong aircrafts which will be based at specific locations around the state.A Sikorsky S-61 fire bombing helicopter is expected to arrive in Victoria in early December with a second Erickson S-64F Aircrane and a second Sikorsky S-61 helicopter to commence service in the middle of December. (News, Source: skynews.com.au)

Aussie chart update: On this week's ARIA Top 40 Music DVD Chart, Elvis The King of Rock 'n' Roll drops 13 spots to #32. It has been on the chart for 75 weeks, with a high of #4 and is certified double Platinum. (News, Source: ARIA)

Budget album releases: These are the covers of the "Elvis And Friends" budget Christmas compilations. Play 24-7 released the "Elvis And Friends Christmas Album" October 2009 with 11 performances by Elvis Presley and 14 by other "oldies". "Christmas With Elvis" is a 12 track Christmas and Gospel compilation by Elvis and tribute songs by The Holly Twins and Marlene Paula from the Membran budget label that was released this month, October 2009.

Eliza Presley case takes surprising turn?: EIN has been advised that: Sources have brought back this overwhelming news from the Chancery Court in Memphis. It appeared the hearing that was supposed to take place on October 13, is not on the docket--at all--not now or any time soon.

The attorney for Alice Tiffin aka Eliza Presley never served Lisa Marie Presley, and the service by publication resulted in no response from "the heirs." Service was restricted to the "UNKNOWN HEIRS OF VERNON E. PRESLEY" with
nothing listed in terms of service of process to the KNOWN heir(s). She has, then, only attempted to serve by publication the *UNKNOWN* heirs of Vernon Presley while there is no effort listed to serve LMP, who is, after all, a defendant. According to our sources, the status of the court case has been listed as "NONE."

It is the belief of many now that "Eliza filed this suit for publicity and to solicit monetary support for herself, and has no intention of her case ever coming to trial. She is simply allowing it to languish in the court system while she parades around as Elvis Presley's half-sister, accepting support and donations from all the easily-duped Elvis fans."

Elvis could be #1 on Italian Album Chart: Elvis Presley n.1 in the Italian album record sales chart? A dream that could become true for the first time in history for thousands of Italian fans of the King of Rock ’n’ Roll, 32 years after his death. On October 30th, the new official Elvis album “Re:Mixes” will be released and the Italian fanclub is campaigning to push the new release. So don 't be too amazed if Elvis is back on top of the charts soon!

‘The Return Of A Prodigy’ CD Review: On July 31st 1969 Elvis returned to live concert performances for the first time in 8 years. For the whole sixties decade his energy and enthusiasm had been sapped by a string of low budget movies and old-fashioned management. RCA recorded a series of multi-track concerts, the first of these however was already Elvis’ forty-first performance of the familiar ’69 concert set-list. On Opening Night itself we know that Elvis was excessively nervous and not relaxed enough with his audience to indulge in any on-stage banter. While a soundboard of this opening concert would be an astounding discovery - the reality of hearing Elvis perform at his SIXTH ever Hilton concert is only one-step away and demonstrates just how astounding Elvis was within the first few days of this all-important season. Read our in-depth review of this great the August 3rd Dinner Show here.(CD Reviews, Source:EIN)

EIN's Best of Elvis on YouTube' OCTOBER Update: Back with a sensational 15 new
fabulous Elvis clips - and don't miss out on our six great 'Videos of the Week';
'I'm Left, Your Right, She's Gone' LIVE, 'Clean Up Your Own Backyard' LIVE
1972,
'Hound Dog' LIVE in Gold Lame, 'Are You Lonesome Tonight' original LIVE, 'Don't Be Cruel' in Tupelo, plus a new edit of 'Home Is Where The Heart Is'. Other delights this week are a funny 'Almost Always True', Elvis on Stage in Indianapolis 1977, as well as Elvis' 1970 complete Houston interview. As EIN always says "Catch them now before they get taken away" ('EIN's Elvis on YouTube', Source:EIN)

Ginger Alden Ring Auction: Ginger Alden has placed her ring up for Auction ending November 5th. The Auction site notes..
> Elvis' fiancee, first met Elvis Presley in 1961, when she was just 5 years old. Her father had been Presley's induction officer when the musician joined the Army in 1958, and the Rock legend had invited the family out for an evening at the local fair.
The two were introduced 15 years later in 1976. During their courtship, Presley often introduced Ginger and her family during his performances, including his last televised appearance in 1977. He had planned to announce their engagement publicly on his upcoming tour in Memphis; sadly, he died before this could happen.
Ginger describes the scene thusly: "In December of 1976, Elvis Presley performed what would be his last shows in Las Vegas, and he invited me to accompany him. Seated on his bed inside of the penthouse suite at the Las Vegas Hilton hotel, Elvis called me in, asked me to sit down, close my eyes, and hold out my hand. I felt a ring being slipped on my finger. I was stunned when I opened my eyes and he asked me to hold out my other hand and he slid this gold and diamond ring onto that finger. Elvis loved jewelry, wanted me to share that love and I wore this many times in Las Vegas and afterwards."
The ring features 15 round brilliant cut diamonds with a total weight of 1 kt. in a 14 kt. yellow gold setting with a weight of 11.8 grams. Two of the diamonds are chipped, otherwise the ring is in Excellent condition. Current Bid $17,000, Estimate: $30,000 - up.Click here to the auction.(News, Source;SanjaM/EIN)

EIN Note: Thanks to Patrick Lacy, author of the excellent book Elvis Decoded, for pointing out that despite our original posting, the ring Ginger is selling is not an engagement ring.

As Patrick rightly points out, iIn the description from the site, which is also posted on EIN, Ginger describes receiving this ring while in Las Vegas, while legend has it that Elvis proposed at Graceland, and that Lowell Hays used the large diamond from Elvis's TCB ring.

'Elvis - The King Of Las Vegas': The photo-book 'Elvis - The King Of Las Vegas' covers Elvis Las Vegas years between 1956 and 1976; his concerts, the holidays, his wedding, a list of all the stage suits Elvis used on stage and a list of all the stage suits Elvis used on stage and more. 360 pages, with 1200 pictures, hardcover, huge book, very heavy. Same quality as ‘Elvis The Concert Years’ book. It’s almost the same size as The Concert Years, only thicker.

The book is at the printer and due out end of next week. Limited edition of 2000 copies worldwide.

(News, Source:PeterHaan)

Elvis Featured in Monty Python Documentary on IFC: Elvis Presley’s love of the Monty Python comedy films is highlighted in a new documentary titled "Monty Python: Almost the Truth" which airs October 18-23 on IFC. Elvis’ best friend Jerry Schilling sat down with filmmakers to tell stories of Elvis buying out an entire movie theatre to watch a new Monty Python film to his reciting of quotes from the popular British comedy films.

'The Elvis Presley Trail' new BBC radio series: The BBC is recording a new 6-part radio series focusing on the young Elvis. The series will tell Elvis' story through some of the landmarks of his life. Along the way we'll be talking with folk who knew him or whose paths he crossed, from neighbours and school mates to local barbers and restaurateurs and shop owners. Et al.
The series follows their very successful previous 'Trails' on Sinatra, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and Judy Garland. The landmark towns they have selected for Elvis are Tupelo, Memphis (and Nashville), Vegas and Los Angeles and they will have a couple of days in each.
The BBC interviewers will be in Tupelo on Oct. 29-30, searching for Presley's former schoolmates, neighbours, friends, shop owners, restaurateurs and others who knew or met him. EIN has put them in touch with the well-respected Roy Turner. The BBC plans to broadcast the series in January and also via the BBC website.

(News, Source;BBC)

James Burton at 21st Int Guitar Festival of Gt Britain: James Burton is going to be returning to the UK for the 21st International Guitar Festival of Great Britain taking place at The Floral Pavilion Theatre, New Brighton on Sunday the 22nd November 2009. As with the previous festivals it will be once again for one night only. James will be joined on stage by a hand picked selection of Merseyside vocalists including Don Woods, Susan Hedges and Chris Clayton. Not only will a selection from Elvis Presley's repertoire be included in the evening's entertainment, but the music of other greats such as Rick Nelson, Roy Orbison, Gram Parsons, Emmylou Harris and John Denver will be included in the line up. Go here for more info

Al Martino Died: The Italian-American baritone, Al Martino, renowned for a string of hits, including the sentimental ballads "Spanish Eyes," "Volare" and "Speak Softly Love," and for his role as the wedding singer in the Marlon Brando film 'The Godfather' died Tuesday in Springfield, Pa. He was 82.
Martino was one of the most recognizable pop singers of the 1950s and '60s. He had a career that spanned nearly five decades. His breakthrough hit for the small BBS label, "Here in My Heart" was released in 1952 and later became the very first No. 1 single in Britain. He also recorded 'Are You Lonesome Tonight' as well as his own version of 'Can't Help Falling in Love'.

(News, Source;AP)

Thursday 15 October 2009

Ron Brandon - Elvis In Tupelo Interview: Ron Brandon was the 17 year-old radio engineer for Tupelo's WTUP station who actually recorded the interviews and Elvis' famous performance.
After reading an EIN review, radio personality Ron Brandon contacted us asking is we knew the whereabouts of Charlie Watts who conducted the Elvis interviews at Tupelo Fair in 1956. Thanks to EIN contributor Pamela Decker we managed to reunite him with his friend Charlie Watts after 53 years!

EIN's Piers Beagley recently spoke to Ron Brandon to find out more of the incredible story of how this historic Elvis performance happened to be recorded for posterity.

'Elvis The Final Performance' new book: Elvis - The Final Performance, which documents Elvis' final show in Indianapolis on June 26th 1977. This is the ultimate hardcover book on the subject and it covers every aspect of the show itself.

Also, there are many additional shots of Elvis' last tour with a special 'Sundial' section. There are 140+ photos!

Elvis' grandson takes mother Lisa Marie and granny Priscilla clubbing in London: We're used to seeing Britain's young royals frequenting London's trendiest nightclubs. But it was Hollywood royalty that partied in the capital last night.Three generations of Presleys headed to Prince William and Harry's favourite party spot Mahiki and partied until the early hours.
Elvis's daughter Lisa Marie, ex wife Priscilla and lookalike grandson Benjamin chose the Mayfair venue for their family night out.
After a night of heady partying until 3am Lisa Marie, who gave birth to twins last October, looked far from impressed when she exited the venue to a swarm of paparazzi photographers waiting outside.
Lisa swiftly followed in the footsteps of her former husband, the late Michael Jackson, by covering her face with her scarf and a large pair of shades.
But Priscilla, 63, looked as alert and glowing as ever proving that she could still keep up with a club filled with revelers half her age.
All shook up: The trio, which included Elvis's former wife Priscilla, stayed out until 3am.Benjamin, 17, seemed to take the whole circus of attention in his stride, which will perhaps come in handy soon.
When Benjamin was recently asked about the album at the Inspiration Awards for Women, at Cadogan Hall in Belgravia, he said: 'The music will be nothing like Elvis, nothing like him at all.'
His mother, 41, who married his father, Danny Keough, a musician, when she was 20 and divorced him in 1994, is also trying to jump start her solo career.
Going the distance: Priscilla, 63, showed she could keep up with revelers half her age.
Lisa Marie is now married to fourth husband, Michael Lockwood, a guitarist and music producer, has enlisted the help of Sheffield musician Richard Hawley to relaunch her music career.
She made a surprise appearance on stage during Hawley's concert at the 02 Shepherd's Bush Empire in London earlier this month.
The two have embarked on a songwriting partnership in which Lisa Marie writes the lyrics and Hawley the music.
They performed their first song Weary - a lilting rock ballad with Lisa Marie on vocals and Hawley on guitar.

(News, Source;SanjaM)

Wednesday 14 October 2009

'The Wonder Of You' FTD Review: A lot of Colonel Parker's managerial decisions in Elvis’ career defy logic. When documenting Elvis’ magnificent return to live performances for a world-wide cinema release, why on earth would you make the star performer work two shows a night?
The ‘The Wonder Of You’ features the August 13th Dinner Show Elvis’ last MGM filmed performance. At the five previous shows Elvis had staged some truly spectacular performances for the cameras but there were several key songs that he had still not performed. Recent hits like ‘The Wonder Of You’, ‘Don’t Cry Daddy’ and even ‘In the Ghetto’ needed to be filmed.
However there is the overall feeling that Elvis was tired this night and not particularly enthused.
Luckily Vic Anesini has worked some audio magic with this new multi-track remix and turned a tired sounding Elvis performance into another TTWII concert well-worth collecting.

Marty Lacker wrote to EIN discussing a few points about what Ernst Jørgensen said in the 'From Elvis In Memphis' interview we added yesterday. Marty made some interesting points and because of his comments and closeness to Elvis, EIN asked him a few more pertinent questions about Chips and the American sessions.

Chicago house to auction Elvis hair: Elvis Presley's hair, at least a clump of hair that Presley may have lost to an Army barber when he went into the service back in 1958, is going on the auction block this Sunday at Leslie Hindman Auctioneers in Chicago.
The hair is part of a collection of more than 200 items that belonged to or are associated with Presley. There are clothes he wore, scarves he threw to screaming fans — who judging by the yellow sweat stains, never washed them — and Christmas cards he sent. And there are lots of records, some he kept in his own juke box, and other sorts of memorabilia ranging from Elvis dolls to Elvis wrist watches to Elvis Pez dispensers.
All the items belonged to Gary Pepper. No Hound Dog, Pepper was not only a huge Presley fan and president of a Presley fan club, but a close friend, as many of the photographs of the two together suggest.
Pepper, who had cerebral palsy, died in 1980, three years after Presley, and left his collection to his nurse, and that is who is putting the items up for auction, said Mary Williams, of the auction house.

But it is clearly the hair that has generated the most buzz.
Like a lot of the items in Pepper's collection, the hair was a gift from Presley to Pepper, who in turn sent a strand or two to appreciative Presley fans from time to time but didn't come close to exhausting his supply.
She said Pepper died without telling anyone exactly where the hair came from or when it was cut, but she said it appears that it was clipped during Presley's stint in the Army or around that time.
Williams did acknowledge that there has never been a DNA test done on the hair. But, she said, the auction house did take it to "somewhat of a hair authenticator" who compared it to his own sample of Presley's hair and concluded it was the real deal.
"I'm very careful with the hair I authenticate," said John Reznikoff. A Connecticut collector of such mundane items as stamps and documents, Reznikoff also has samples of hair that once sat atop some of the most famous heads in history, from George Washington to Abraham Lincoln, Napoleon, Albert Einstein and Marilyn Monroe. He even says he has some of Michael Jackson's hair that was famously singed during the filming of a Pepsi commercial in 1984.
"I have a high resolution scan and I took mine (Presley hair sample) out and the coarseness and color of it, they all match," he said.
"I did say short of a DNA test proving otherwise," he explained.
What that kind of testing means to collectors remains to be seen. But while the hair as it's displayed on white tissue paper may just look somewhat like the aerial view of Moe Howard, it could be worth a lot of money.
Williams said she doesn't know what to expect, saying that the best estimate is that the hair is worth $8,000-$12,000. But, she quickly added, a few years back some of Presley's hair that had been collected by his barber was put up for bid and sold for $115,000.
"The industry of hair collecting has blown up," she said.
So, who would want it? "There's an interest in owning a piece of a celebrity," she said. Or perhaps make one of your own.
"There's a possibility that people think you could clone people from hair," she said.Click here to Auction Elvis Slide Show (News, Source;Yahoo)

"Elvis 75' Good Rockin' Tonight" full details: Legacy Recordings is proud to announce the release of Elvis 75 - Good Rockin' Tonight, the ultimate career-spanning collection of seminal recordings by Elvis Presley, in commemoration of the King of Rock & Roll's 75th birthday (January 8, 2010). 'Elvis 75- Good Rockin' Tonight' a four CD, 100 song collection will be available everywhere on Tuesday, December 8.
The first major Elvis Presley retrospective to cover the full spectrum of the artist's world-changing career, Elvis 75 - Good Rockin' Tonight runs from "My Happiness," the acetate Elvis himself paid nearly four dollars to record at the Memphis Recording Service on July 18, 1953, a year before signing with Sun Records, to "A Little Less Conversation (JXL Remix)" a posthumous #1 hit for Elvis in the UK, Australia and more than 20 other countries in 2002.
Offering fans an unprecedented range of essential material, Elvis 75 - Good Rockin' Tonight provides a generous selection of the electrifying earth-shattering primal rock & roll of young Elvis; the swinging good vibes of Elvis's soundtrack recordings; the heartfelt humility of his gospel performances and the intimacy of his ballads; the pure pop power and show biz magic of Elvis in Vegas; and a record-setting number of #1 and Top 10 international smashes.
The lavish Elvis 75 - Good Rockin' Tonight box set includes an 80-page booklet featuring many rare photographs and a new essay by musical and cultural critic Billy Altman (Rolling Stone, The New Yorker).
A single disc edition of Elvis 75 - Good Rockin' Tonight, featuring key tracks culled from the four-disc set, will be released on January 5, 2010 (the week of Elvis' birthday: January 8).Legacy's release of Elvis 75 - Good Rockin' Tonight kicks off a year-long celebration of the life and music of Elvis Presley, the world's first rock & roll star.
The tracklist starts with 'My Happiness', 'That's All Right', 'Blue Moon Of Kentucky', and ends with 'Way Down', 'Unchained Melody' and 'A Little Less Conversation (Remix)'. Click here for full 100 song tracklist details if you need to. (News, Source;PRNewswire)

New Elvis DVD board game: From EPE something a new board game with DVD. The game features authentic video footage, images and photos of Elvis that will take you from the Gates of Graceland to Heartbreak Hotel and will leave you All Shook Up! Recapture and relive the life of Elvis Presley as you collect artefacts to create the greatest moments in Rock n’ Roll history!
Collect artefacts that match up to the ones on the Elvis cards and make it back to Graceland to win the game.
Components - Game Board, Playing Pawns, DVD, Six-Sided Die, Ten-Sided Die, Elvis Cards, Tribute Cards.

Ernst Jørgensen talks with EIN about 'From Elvis In Memphis': Recently EIN ran a 7,000 word review on the 'From Elvis In Memphis' 2009 Sony Legacy release. At last Elvis' powerful, creative musical statement had been given the respect that it was due. This is the Elvis album that should stand on hallowed ground along with the all-time classics of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd etc..

Ernst Jorgensen was the producer of this special release and EIN's Piers Beagley was keen to ask a few questions about the finer details. Ernst also discusses the importance of the Mono versions, as well as the possibility of future Elvis Legacy projects.

If There Can Be Only One King, Let It Be Elvis: I thought about all the news covered the last few weeks, Michael Jackson, Walter Cronkite, Karl Malden, news from India, Germany, Mercedes, and ridiculous stories like the one about Erin Andrews. But lets face it, one of the truly great things about having a voice is to be able to say what you want, at least in the digital age. What I want to talk about in this article is the unequivocal king of celebrity, Elvis Presley – the king of Rock and Roll.
Okay, you detractors out there, the Michael Jackson fans, the Rappers and U2 fans, just let me take you back to a place where someone extraordinary even among celebrities and heroes did the very best PR job anyone ever will. How is that you say? Well, Elvis Presley pretty much made celebrity what it is today. Was it just raw talent that did it? Decidedly not. Was it that talent and charisma interjected at the right time and place? Possibly. I think it was all these things and something a little more special than the “luck” these things imply. I urge you to just scan Elvis’ Wikipedia biography if you have any doubts after reading this.

Sitting here wondering how to craft such a deep and impactful story in itself is staggering. I had trouble trying to put together the right words to express Michael Jackson at his unfortunate death, just how do you paint a picture in words of someone even more impressive and legendary (sorry if this diminished Michael or anyone else)? Perhaps the best way is to express the feelings of untold generations, and then to show some images and video. This will not do it I know, but unless the reader has a mind to do time travel, it may be the only way.

People now can only have an inkling of understanding about Elvis and the time he came from. Artists today actually bask in the light of successes an industry he helped create shines on them. Everyone from the Beatles, to the “King Pop” Michael Jackson, revered Elvis. There is no comparing these artists really. But if we have to measure them, if there has to be one king, then Elvis Presley was and is it. No other figure in entertainment really comes close. Elvis has been inducted into 4 different music genre Halls of Fame. No other artist ever, crossed not only artistic genres, but socio-economic, International, age, gender, or a multitude of others. It was sad to lose this wonderful spirit at the age of only 42, imagine it.

“For those too young to have experienced Elvis Presley in his prime, today’s celebration of the 25th anniversary of his death must seem peculiar. All the talentless impersonators and appalling black velvet paintings on display can make him seem little more than a perverse and distant memory. But before Elvis was camp, he was its opposite: a genuine cultural force… Elvis’ breakthroughs are under appreciated because in this rock-and-roll age, his hard-rocking music and sultry style have triumphed so completely.” – The New York Times

Jason Presley's claiming to be Elvis' son - Supreme Court Case Shotdown: The Supreme Court has struck down a case of Jason Presley, who is claiming to be Elvis Presley's son. According to reports, Jason Presley was suing for rights to the entire Presley family estate. Jason claimed his father was murdered in 1977 and did not die from a drug overdose.
Jason Presley created a petition to the high court asking them to review his case. The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear a case from Jason Presley, a man who is claiming to be Elvis Presley's son.

(News, Source:Chronicle)

Sunday 11 October 2009

Elvis singing Hound Dog - "I had a bad feeling" says Jerry Leiber: One half of the legendary Leiber-Stoller songwriting team, Jerry Leiber, had this to say about Elvis' version of Hound Dog in the entertaining book release, Hound Dog The Leiber and Stoller Autobiography:

As for the fact that Elvis had recorded "Hound Dog", well, I had different feelings. The first feeling is one that washes over any songwriter when he learns he has a hit: He hears the cash register ring and the Sale! sign come up. That's a good feeling. But when I heard Elvis's version, I had a bad feeling. I didn't like the way he did it. Elvis - or somebody - changed the lyrics. I had written:

You ain't nothing but a hound dog

Quit snooping 'round my door You can wag your tail

But I ain't gonna feed you no more

But Elvis sang:

You ain't nothing but a hound dog

Crying all the time

You ain't never caught a rabbit

And you ain't no friend of mine

To this day I have no idea what that rabbit business is all about. The song is not about a dog; it's about a man, a freeloading gigolo. Elvis's version makes no sense to me, and, even more irritatingly, it is not the song that Mike and I wrote. Of course, the fact that it sold more than seven million copies took the sting out of what seemed to be a capricious change of lyrics. But, lick for lick, there's no comparison between the Presley version and the Big Mama [Thornton] original. Elvis played with the song; Big Mama nailed it.

Elvis knew Big Mama's version, but that wasn't the one that got him to do it. He had heard it sung by a lounge act at the Sands Hotel in Vegas - Freddie Bell and the Bellboys. Apparently he liked the rhumba feel to the rhythm and told his boys to work up an arrangement. So Elvis was really covering a cover.

Elvis's guitar exceeds expected price at auction: A bidder paid $106,200 for a Martin D-28 guitar played by Elvis Presley during his final Las Vegas peformance. The guitar - a Martin D-28 guitar stage-used in his final Las Vegas - was an item among dozens of items from Hollywood and the music industry sold at an auction in Los Angeles by Profiles in History.

The auction house says it sold about $5 million in memorabilia Thursday and Friday.(News, Source: AP/Elvis News)

Many people use biorhythm charts as part of their daily routine. They are seen as a guide to their physical and mental functioning or well being and can be useful in helping to avoid accidents and clumsy thinking.

Elvis' primary and secondary biorhythm charts around 16 August 1977 are certainly interesting.

Click here to view both charts and and both an explanation of how biorhythms work and an interpretation of Elvis; biorhythm charts around 16 August 1977. (News, Source: Judy Nevers)

Did you know?: According to the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS), in 2002, 84,000 people listed ETA as their major occupation.

(News, Source: The Phantom)

Elvis comes to the BBC: BBC Radio 2 presenter Terry Wogan, comedian Alan Carr and presenter Dermot O'Leary star as Elvis, Elton John and David Bowie in the first of a series of promotional ads to support the upcoming BBC Children in Need appeal.

The first 40-second clip, which can be seen on MediaGuardian.co.uk for the first time and was developed by Red Bee Media, features the three celebrities dressed up as famous musicians. Carr is dressed as Elton John. When O'Leary enters a studio Carr exclaims: "Oooh! Dermot, I love Bonnie Tyler," to the miffed response "I'm David Bowie! Labyrinth!"

Lisa Marie Presley - watched from the wings by her mother Priscilla - appeared on stage with Hawley, of Greystones, as a surprise guest during his concert in London on Thursday night to announce their songwriting partnership.

Hawley, the Mercury Prize-nominated former Pulp and Longpigs guitarist, recently rejuvenated the career of Amarillo singer Tony Christie from Conisbrough and is currently working with Dame Shirley Bassey on her comeback album.

His manager Graham Wrench told The Star: "He's been writing songs with her for a while. She became a fan and they have a similar sense of humour and she has a really great voice.

"So on Thursday Rich just asked her, 'Fancy getting up tonight and playing a song?'

"It was all completely unrehearsed - the band hadn't heard the song until soundcheck. She hadn't been on stage in a few years. It was a magic moment in the encore. Priscilla was at the side of the stage."

Presley, who appeared at London's O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire, said she chose to collaborate with rockabilly crooner Hawley after she became a fan of his music. The two have already written a couple of songs together - one of which, Weary, they performed together.

Speaking after the concert, Presley said: "I wrote the lyrics, Richard wrote the music. I am the first person he has written a song for in that way."

She added the collaboration had so far been top secret, and that her decision to go on stage was spur of the moment.

Presley said: "I only knew I was coming on stage four hours beforehand. I was working with Richard and we decided I should go on, so I didn't have long to think about it."

But the singer, once married to Michael Jackson, said there is no game plan for her comeback, other than to write songs with Hawley who she described as a "lovely man" and a "good friend". (Lisa Marie Presley's World, Source: Gigwise)

Aussie chart update: On tomorrow's ARIA Top 40 Music DVD chart, Elvis: The King of Rock 'n' Roll holds steady at #19 after 74 weeks on the chart.

Thursday - EIN interviews Ron Brandon the engineer who recorded the stunning Tupelo concert back in 1956.

Freddy Bienstock EIN interview: Freddy Bienstock, a prominent music publishing executive who had a long association with Elvis Presley as his designated song screener, died on September 20th 2009 at his home in Manhattan. He was 86.
Bienstock’s job was to not only find Elvis high quality material but also to maximize income for his employer - and songwriters were often pressured to forfeit a large portion of their royalties to Hill & Range, - “the Elvis tax”.

Far too many of Elvis' associates are leaving this mortal coil and author Ken Sharp was very lucky that he managed to interview Freddie Bienstock back in 2006 for his FTD book 'Writing For The King'.

‘Original ELVIS Tribute returns to Poland: Warsawa – In January 2010, the King would have turned 75, and in order to celebrate his significant contribution to popular culture, the prestigious ‘Reduta Banku Polskiego’ in the Polish capital Warsawa will be hosting a special 3-day Elvis Happening on January 15 – 17, 2010. This will be the most ambitious Elvis event ever staged in Poland, an exciting and action-packed three days filled morning to late night with everything Elvis, including Elvis movies on a large screen, a market, special presentations and lots of live music. Already booked is the sensational ‘The Original Elvis Tribute 2010’ featuring a.o. Duke Bardwell. This remarkable band took the Polish fans by storm last May, so no doubt many will be very pleased to hear that they will be returning to Poland for three shows! “I loved everything about Poland”, Duke Bardwell says, “And I’m looking forward to returning in January 2010. We’ll have a blast!”. For more info, please visit: www.elvisnews.dk(News, Source;elvisnews.dk)

Music producer Shelby Singleton dies in Nashville: Veteran Nashville producer and later owner of SUN Records, Shelby Singleton died last Wednesday from brain cancer. He was 77.
Singleton cut hits like Jeannie C. Riley's 1968 No. 1 country-to-pop crossover "Harper Valley P.T.A." before settling in as owner of the lucrative Sun Records catalog, purchased from founder Sam Phillips in 1969.
After a stint as a regional salesman for Chicago-based Mercury Records in the late '50s, Texas-born Singleton's record biz career lifted off when he was promoted in January 1961 to head of the company's Nashville subsidiary Smash Records... . (Right:Knox Phillips & Shelby Singleton)
After licensing independent hits like Bruce Channel's "Hey! Baby," Matt Lucas' "I'm Movin' On," and Paul and Paula's "Hey Paula" for the label, Singleton struck gold by signing singer-songwriter Roger Miller, then languishing at RCA. Miller recorded a series of sly down-home hits for Smash. He also nurtured the careers of comedic singer Ray Stevens and guitarist-vocalist Jerry Reed.
In 1967, Singleton ankled Mercury and started his own indie label, Plantation. He scored almost immediately with Riley's tart number about small-town hypocrisy, written by Tom T. Hall.
He soon parlayed that massive success into a small indie-label empire and the purchase of SUN Records. The Memphis label recorded timeless rock 'n' roll and country material by his onetime Smash charges Jerry Lee Lewis and Charlie Rich, plus classics by Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison and Carl Perkins, among others.
Transaction proved a goldmine, as Singleton cashed in on a bonanza of LP and CD repackagings and ancillary marketing and licensing of Sun's masters and logo. He even managed to propel four old Sun tracks by Lewis onto the country charts in 1969-70.
While Elvis Presley's Sun masters had been bought by RCA in the 1956 deal that took him to the label, Singleton still capitalized on Presley's Sun tenure by marketing the masked vocalist Orion - real name Jimmy Ellis - as a kind of alternate-universe Elvis.
In a clever marketing move instead of listing Orion's first album on SUN, Singleton printed a question mark. A major commercial succcess was the Jerry Lee Lewis 1978 album Duets (Sun 1011). Charlie Rich genuinely sang along with old vocal tracks of Jerry Lee Lewis on two songs so there was speculation was that Elvis really had duetted on "Save the Last Dance for Me". Elvis' voice in reality was a clever imitation by Jimmy Ellis.
See EIN's Spotlight The Tragic story of Jimmy Ellis / Orion. See EINs Spotlight on Jerry Lee Lewis vs Elvis.(News, Source;ElvisInfoNet)

New Book "Images - A Photo Documentary - Vol 2": A new high quality hardcover book with more than 200 glorious images of the greatest entertainer of all time, mainly unpublished. All photos are from the unique collection of Patrick Janssen.
We're proud to present this second volume with again many (unpublished) crystal clear Elvis images in B&W and COLOR from the 50's to the 70's taken mainly from negatives and transparencies. - 250+ images and 200+ unpublished to be exact - Including: Reflectons of the 50's - Elvis At Sun - Tupelo, Mississippi - The Army Years - Welcome Home Elvis - Wild In The Country - Girls! Girls! Girls! - Viva Las Vegas - Stay Away Joe - The Comeback Special - That's The Way It Is - Madison Square Garden - Aloha From Hawaii - Houston 1974 - Last Vegas Season - and many others!!!This beautiful 120-pages photo documentary is printed on high quality paper.

Middle America mid 1950s.......Position Vacant: The King of Rock 'n' Roll - a white man who can sing the blues!: Elvis Presley was the man for the job. He could sing everything from gospel and blues to country and pop with the same raw energy and potent sexuality that thrilled rhythm and blues audiences and kept teenagers buying records. He also had an advantage that equally thrilling, dynamic performers like Little Richard and Chuck Berry just could not match: It took a white face to sell rock 'n' roll coast to coast in the 1950s.

"The colored folks been singin' and playin' it just like I'm doing now," Presley told a reporter. "I got it from them. I used to hear Arthur Crudup bang his box the way I do now, and I said if I ever got to the place where I could feel all old Arthur felt, I'd be a music man like nobody ever saw."

In 1956 alone Elvis Presley sold 10 million records (out of an industry total of 90 million) and claimed 50 percent of RCA's pop music sales. Girls werre wearing Elvis Presley skirts. Boys were practising his moves in record stores. Fans were ripping off his clothes at any opportunity and covering his pink Cadillac with lipstick mash notes.

His performances caused such hysteria that a judge in Florida threatened to have him arrested if he repeated the "torso-tossing spectacle" that almost caused a riot the first time he appeared. (Book Excerpt, Source: Teenagers An American History, Grace Palladino, Basic Books/HarperCollins Publishers, 1996)

EIN Notes: The other factor Elvis possessed which made him stand apart from other performers was his good looks.

In 1956-57 when Elvis broke nationally and internationally the youth market in the USA was worth an estimated US$9 billion. By the mid 2000's it was worth US$89 billion, nearly 10 times as much. This reflects the increased affluence of teens and the large growth in their numbers since the 1950s.

Another Elvis guitar up for auction: Elvis Presley's personal Martin D-28 guitar stage-used in his final Las Vegas performance ($60,000-$80,000) will be one of the items that is for sale on the Profiles In History auction.

And a lock of Elvis's hair is also up for auction: THE King of Pop lives on not only in his music and host of impersonators - but through his hair. A lock of ELVIS PRESLEY's famous barnet is up for grabs in an auction for one of us mere mortals to own. The hair, snipped off in 1958 when he joined the Army, will go to the highest bidder on October 18 as part of an Elvis memorabilia collection in Chicago. It is believed the prize will reach $12,000 (£7,500). And they say there's a recession going on...(News, Source: thesun.co.uk)

Colonel Tom Parker Exhibit at Hall of Fame: The whole country and perhaps the world knew about Colonel Tom Parker, the colorful manager of Elvis Presley. The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum has unveiled a special spotlight exhibit dedicated to the man who really wasn't a colonel after all.

The exhibit traces Parker's life from his days as an immigrant carnival worker to his time as a powerful pioneering artist manager. He managed Elvis from 1955 until the King's death in 1977.

A mysterious character, Parker was born Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk in Breda, Holland, and entered the United States illegally in 1929.

Before managing Elvis, he was involved in the careers of Roy Acuff, Ernest Tubb, Eddy Arnold and Hank Snow.

(News, Source: Amber Smith)

Elvis's grandson not recording album!!!: Despite our news report earlier this week, Lisa Marie is pouring cold water over reports that the teenage grandson of the King of Rock 'n' Roll has signed a record deal.

Media reports, mostly generated out of Europe, suggested on Thursday that Ben Presley, the eldest son of Elvis's daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, and her former husband, musician Danny Keough, will be paid $5 million U.S. to record five albums for Universal.

The U.K.'s Daily Mail even quotes the 17-year-old as saying the "music will be nothing like Elvis, nothing like him at all."

But a spokesperson for Lisa Marie tells GossipCop.com the story isn't true and is in fact, "completely made up," and that Ben isn't making music because he's too busy being "a student right now." (News, Source: Canwest News Service)

List of Top 10 Celebrities with a Twin: Metromix Chicago has published a Top 10 list of celebrities with a twin. The list is:

Gisele and Patricia Bundchen

Keifer and Rachel Sutherland

Scarlett and Hunter Johansson

Alanis and Wade Morisette

John and Jana Elway

Ashton and Michael Kutcher

Elvis and Jesse Presley

Justin and Laura Timberlake

Aaron and Angel Carter

John and Daniel Heder

Elvis' had three managers during his career:

Scotty Moore

Bob Neal

Colonel Tom Parker

Did you know?

The first DJ to play an Elvis record was Fred Cook (WREC), not Dewey Phillips (WHBQ).

However, Dewey had the distinction of being the first DJ to play an Elvis record in its entirety.

Wednesday 7 October 2009

'Love Me Tender: The Love Songs' the EIN DVD Review: The publicity states that, 'Love Me Tender: The Love Songs', hosted by Golden Globe-nominated actress Ashley Judd, is the first-ever in-depth look at the love songs of Elvis. It also states that, "Love Me Tender is Elvis as you’ve never seen him."

EIN's Piers Beagley finds it hard to believe that this documentary could really be so revealing. He discovers The Good, The Bad and The Disappointments within this mainstream DVD release.

But costing under $20, surely there has to be some value-for-money time for 2 hours spent in Elvis' company?

Elvis Presley Musical Photo Album SD Card: Moving with the times, you can now buy "50 rare photos and 10 of his most beloved songs performed by studio musicians" (note, not by Elvis!) on a $20 SD card.

After 40 years, Elvis Presley lives on as The King of Rock 'n' Roll(R). Keep his memory--and music--alive in your home with this musical photo album, containing 50 rare photos and 10 of his most beloved songs performed by studio musicians. Just pop the 1GB SD card into your digital photo frame, and let the slideshow begin.
- Works with SD card-compatible digital picture frames and flat-panel displays with MP3 and JPEG functionality
- Songs include: Suspicious Minds; Teddy Bear; I Want You, I Need You, I Love You; One Night; Stuck on You; Can't Help Falling in Love; Return to Sender; Love Me Tender
- Measures approximately 1-1/4"L x 1"W - Made in China

'Elvis 75 - Good Rockin' Tonight' new Sony release: To be released in December 2009, this is the cover art for the upcoming Sony Legacy set called "Elvis 75 - Good Rockin' Tonight".

No tracklisting or details are yet available.

(News, Source:Amazon)

Monday 5 October 2009

New MRS release: Memphis Recording Service will release a Special CD Collectors Edition titled ‘TUPELO WELCOMES HOME ELVIS PRESLEY’ featuring two concerts and rare interviews.

This release also comes with a 40 page hardback book packed with rare photographs on Elvis’ homecoming concerts in September 1956, TupeloMississippi. The book will include recently acquired new information on the recording of the concerts by Ron Brandon and the WTUP Radio interviews by Charlie Watts. Text is provided by Roy Turner and Ron Brandon.

Release expected 16th November 2009. Full tracklisting and final details to follow…

George Klein keeps Elvis duets: On his show on Sirius Radio this Friday, George Klein once again mentioned that he has in his possession, three unreleased duets of Elvis singing 'Blue Suede Shoes' with legendary Carl Perkins, 'Help Me' with Country singer, Larry Gatlin and 'Guitar Man' with the great Jerry Reed.

The duets were recorded in the 80's and Klein claims they were to form a duets album called 'Elvis & Friends' but Parker put a stop to the project before more duets could be recorded. The tapes were given to Klein by the widow
of Elvis producer, Felton Jarvis. The radio DJ, said in an interview with Elvis Australia in 2008 that he offered the tapes to RCA but they were not interested?

On Friday's show Klein said he refuses to hand over the tapes until SONY come up with the right offer. Klein also claims to have in his possession a tape of raw material from the 1969 American Sound Sessions and a never before heard interview.

If these claims are true, we say Klein should hand over the tapes and stop with the pay up attitude so that SONY can get these released and the fans can get to hear these recordings. After all, don't RCA/BMG/SONY own the tapes anyway?

Nancy Walters passes away: Nancy Walters of Las Vegas, NV, who acted with Elvis Presley in the movie, "Blue Hawaii", and who was a Christian minister has died. After a long battle with pancreatic cancer, she passed away peacefully in her sleep on September 29. Walters, a former fashion model and "glamour girl" (1958 Deb Star), played the part of a school teacher in charge of students who were touring with Elvis as their guide in "Blue Hawaii".

A few years ago, Nancy was reunited with co-star Darlene Tompkins. Through Darlene, a local Elvis fan couple befriended Nancy and visited her often. Recently, they managed a greeting card mailing campaign that delighted Nancy for many weeks. A world traveler, she especially enjoyed the cards from places she had visited. Nancy remarked once, "Elvis has left me so many friends."

Aussie chart update: On tomorrow's ARIA Music DVD Top 40, Elvis The King of Rock 'n' Roll slips four places to #19. It has been on the chart for 73 weeks for a high of #4 and is certified 2xP. (News, Source: ARIA)

Rick Stanley Revival Services: Rick Stanley is one of America’s most respected and anointed Evangelists today.

In 1960, Rick and his two brothers were living in Virginia when his mother, Dee Stanley, married Elvis’ widowed father, Vernon Presley, and took them to live at Graceland. Rick was 6 years old. Elvis was 25. As Rick grew older he traveled with Elvis as his personal assistant and bodyguard. The lifestyle eventually led to a dependence on alcohol and narcotics. When Elvis died in August, 1977, Rick thought his life was over since it had been centered on his big brother from the age of 6.

Through the consistent prayer of a high school friend, Robyn Moye, Rick gave what was left of his life to Jesus Christ. He was miraculously delivered from his alcohol and drug dependencies. Sensing God calling him into the ministry, Rick attended Criswell College in Dallas, TX on a full scholarship provided to him by Dr. W. A. Criswell after hearing Rick’s story.

He went to do his graduate studies at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, TX. Rick also went on to marry that high school friend and he and Robyn have two daughters, Brittany and Bethany. Rick has appeared on "Good Morning America", "Regis and Kathie Lee", "20/20", "Larry King Live" and many other television programs. He has also spoken at Billy Graham crusades.

Elvis's grandson signs recording deal.....and it's not with Sony!: Two months after the death of Michael Jackson, his former wife Lisa Marie Presley has reason to cheer. Mandrake can disclose that her 17-year-old son, Benjamin Presley, has been offered a $5 million [£3.3 million] deal by Universal, the world's biggest record company, to make up to five albums.

Ben tells me that his first album, which he is recording at the moment, will be very different in style from those of his grandfather Elvis, who died 15 years before Ben was born.

"The music will be nothing like Elvis, nothing like him at all," he said at the Inzpiration Awards for Women, at Cadogan Hall, in Belgravia.

The teenager, who bears a startling resemblance to his grandfather, is currently taking a break from making the album, which he hopes to release next year. "He's a typical 17 year-old," says his spokesman. "He doesn't get up before midday and then grunts at you." (News, Source: Brian Quinn/Tim Walker and Richard Eden, telegraph.co.uk)

“Elvis at 21” is accompanied by a richly illustrated catalog, titled “Elvis 1956,” available through ShopElvis.com via preorder by clicking here. And, when you pre-order the "Elvis 1956", you can save 20% on 2010 Wertheimer Calendars.

Al Wertheimer will also be sharing many of his photos and the stories behind his photos on The Elvis Cruise scheduled for November 12 – 16. Click here for more info.

Developed collaboratively by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery and the Govinda Gallery, “Elvis at 21” will be on view at The Grammy Museum through March 28, 2010.

Al Wertheimer had unparalleled access and documented Elvis on the road, backstage, in concert, in the recording studio and at home in Memphis. Colonel Tom Parker, Elvis’ manager, restricted contact just a short time later. The photographs document a remarkable time when Elvis could sit alone at a drugstore lunch counter.

Wertheimer also joined Elvis as he traveled home to Memphis by train. One image shows Elvis as just part of the crowd surrounding a lunch vendor on a train platform during a brief stop on the 27-hour trip. The anonymity he had during this stop was short-lived; the trip followed a busy few months when Elvis appeared on the television shows “Stage Show,” “The Milton Berle Show” and “The Steve Allen Show.” The photographs of a concert in Russwood Park on his return to Memphis show a young man who now had to have a police escort to get through the crowd of fans between his car and the stadium.

You can find samples of the photos in the book along with lots more information about Elvis and Al Wertheimer here.(News, Source: EPE)

Graceland stable welcomes newest resident: The staff of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. is happy to welcome a new addition to Graceland Stable, Tucker, a 13 year old registered Golden Palomino Quarter Horse gelding.

Loyal Elvis fans may recall the loss of Sun’s Reflection, also a Golden Palomino, in August of this year.

Just as we did after the loss of Elvis’ original Palomino, Sun, EPE and the Presley family wanted to keep a Golden Palomino at Graceland Stable as it continues Elvis’ legacy and the family’s love of horses.

Graceland was lucky enough to find Tucker who was in need of a home and has now arrived at Graceland. Priscilla Presley has been very involved working with the Graceland Stable staff to ensure that this was a good match for our current herd. (News, Source: EPE)

"Broken" Elvis guitar to be auctioned: Alexander Autographs in Stamford, CT in the States will hold an auction at Mohegan Sun casino on October 21-22, 2009. A number of Elvis items going up for auction including:

Martin guitar Elvis smashed onstage and gave to a fan - bought in Memphis in 1976 ($150,000-200,000)

Easy Come, Easy Go 12" vinyl album sells at auction: Last month we reported on a copy of tis very rare and collectible album being listed on ebay. The item received 16 bids and sold for a masssive US$415.00!

Lisa Marie takes on former nanny: LISA MARIE PRESLEY has taken aim at the former nanny suing her for poor working conditions by revealing the child carer posted photos of her twin babies on social networking website Facebook.

Christine White claims she was forced to work long hours without pay, while Presley was suffering from postpartum depression - and is suing the rocker for dismissal cash.
But now Presley is countersuing her former nanny, claiming White took photographs and shot video of her twins and then posted some of them on her Facebook page, according to TMZ.com.

Bedecked in paino keys, the singer-songwriter went on to talk about her
current musical tastes (including Kanye West!) her legacy. Among her career
highlights, Carol hit the top of the charts in 1958 with the song "To Know Him is to Love Him", and co-wrote the theme tune to "Rocky".(News, Source: Brian Quinn)

More images - 'Dayton Reloaded' new Deluxe release: From the producers of the INTERNATIONAL label and DAE comes this first BOXCAR label release focusing on Elvis’ tours of 1974.

The 2 CD set features both the afternoon and evening performances of October 6, 1974 at the University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, Ohio. The recording source used for this release is taken directly from the original soundboard tapes and is professionally remastered by DAE for optimum sound quality.

The accompanying lavish hardback 100 page glossy book, features a well detailed essay on the tours of 1974 proceeding up to October, (and including 1956) and is packed, with rare and unpublished photographs and unpublished documents. Dayton Reloaded will be presented in exactly the same deluxe box format as the sold-out release 'Internationale 1971'.

Stunning quality audio, unpublished photos, coupled with a beautiful art layout all make this a fascinating audio/visual release. Released October.

The breathtaking experience of Elvis’ voice:MusicianGregLake, of Emerson, Lake and Palmer, had this to say about Elvis:

Perhaps the only other voice to touch me (Luciano Pavarotti’s voice being the first), was the voice of Elvis Presley; to watch him perform as I did along with Carl (Palmer), and Keith (Emerson), both in 1971 and again in 1976 was an absolutely awesome and breathtaking experience; like Pavarotti, Presley had the power to reduce most people to tears very quickly and indeed to move them to think very carefully about their inner spiritual beliefs; as far as singing is concerned, the human voice is a matter of expression of passion in the understanding of the human condition and, upon seeing both of them perform, I very quickly came to realise that they were each capable of expressing more feeling, with their voices, than I had ever thought possible.

(Opposite: Emerson, Lake & Palmer)

EIN Notes: Emerson, Lake and Palmer were one of the progressive rock supergroups of the 1970s. One of the group’s biggest hits was their recording of the classical music piece, Fanfare for the Common Man, released in 1977. Lake’s observation can be considered on a number of levels, from the personal to the academic. At a recent symposium on popular culture, Lake’s comments on Elvis were discussed as one of a number of factors influencing why Elvis is a religious figure in contemporary society.

King 'n' Me - new Elvis related film released: Plotline - An eccentric millionaire [Michael Jacobs] sends a seasoned documentary film crew on a search to find the most legendary icon in the history of rock 'n' roll...The King. Is he alive, as many believe? If so, does he want to be found? Is there any credibility to the often ridiculous tales of "sightings"?

With an angry, alcoholic Director [Rob Ashkenas], a spoiled, egomaniacal celebrity journalist [Michael Dasch], and a ragtag crew of half-wits, the team searches throughout the urban jungles of Southern Florida to answer these questions. What they soon find will not only change their careers, but also their lives.

A tour de force performance by Producer/Co-Writer/Star Mike McSween, Shot & Cut by award winning filmmaker Steven Jacobs, highlight this comedic and transcendent mockumentary about the lengths people will go to find what they're looking for...and discovering themselves in the meantime.

New FTD Releases: A new of set of three FTDs and some re-issues have been announced for late October. Besides the titles 'Rockin Across Texas' (CD) and 'The Jungle Room Sessions' (vinyl), fans can expect the 1976 new soundboard "Newhaven '76".
According to Elvis Matters both the "Blue Hawaii" and "Standing Room Only" vinyl releases will also be back in stock by October 1st but for a limited period only. Both will be officially deleted once this stock is depleted.
And from an update from EU the "Girl Happy" CD should now be in reprint and will soon be available with improved remastered audio with improved and updated graphics!

'NEW HAVEN ‘76': Following on from his appearance in Fort Worth, Elvis rocked New Haven, Connecticut on July 30 at the Veterans’ Memorial Coliseum. Featuring photos from Steve Barile’s archives, New Haven ’76 is a 1-CD 5” digipack.
A credible live version of Return To Sender is featured as a bonus track from Hampton Roads Coliseum on August 1, 1976.

ROCKIN’ ACROSS TEXAS, This will be released in October as a 2-CD 5” set. It features Elvis live in Amarillo, Texas at the Civic Center, June 19, 1974 and Fort Worth, Texas at the Tarrant County Convention Center, Recorded July 3, 1976.

This CD only version contains the same content as featured in the acclaimed FTD book that is now deleted.

GOOD TIMES: to be released December 7th Godd Times is a 2-disc set in the classic album series. Originally released in 1974, this great album featured the legendary “Good Time Charlie’s Got The Blues”, “My Boy” and “I’ve Got A Thing About You Baby”. In addition to the masters, it will contain many great outtakes from the Stax Sessions of 1973. The package features the 7” inch digipack format with 12-page booklet.
The full tracklisting will follow.

The King's Ransom Museum in Las Vegas: After years of touring with The King's Ransom Elvis Presley Museum. Owners Russ Howe & Bud Glass have signed with The Imperial Palace Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas! Grand opening will be October 21st. We are planning many exciting events.

Hope to see you there! More news to follow real soon.

(News; Source; MartyLacker)

Tuesday 29 September 2009

'Dayton Reloaded' new Deluxe release: From the producers of the INTERNATIONAL label and DAE comes this first BOXCAR label release focusing on Elvis’ tours of 1974.
The 2 CD set features both the afternoon and evening performances of October 6, 1974 at the University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, Ohio. The recording source used for this release is taken directly from the original soundboard tapes and is professionally remastered by DAE for optimum sound quality.
The accompanying lavish hardback 100 page glossy book, features a well detailed essay on the tours of 1974 proceeding up to October, (and including 1956) and is packed, with rare and unpublished photographs and unpublished documents. Dayton Reloaded will be presented in exactly the same deluxe box format as the sold-out release 'Internationale 1971'.
Stunning quality audio, unpublished photos, coupled with a beautiful art layout all make this a fascinating audio/visual release. Released October.Click here for more info & full promo images. (News, Source;Boxcar)

Red West interview featured in new RSVP magazine: The interview about Red West's film work features some nice comments:
Robert West, better known as "Red" has long exceeded the average entertainer's 15 minutes of fame with a resume that boasts acting. stuntwork, songwriting, and even a gig as Elvis' bodyguard. However his most recent role in the movie Goodbye Solo has taken his star power to new heights at the ripe old age of 73. West says the director, Ramin Bahrani, definitely got the best performance of his career. As West puts it, “I like characters that are a little different than I am, to see what I can do with them.”Red West: I remember going every Saturday to the movies and seeing Gene Autry and Roy Rogers, and saying, "Oh boy. I want to do that." I never dreamed I would make movies, but fortunately I grew up with Elvis here in Memphis. He opened up the first door for me out there with Nick Adams, who starred in "The Rebel" TV series, and many other things. Nick helped me go further, then Robert Conrad didn't just open the door, he kicked it open for me in 'Black Sheep Squadron'. That show opened up bigger parts that have been corning ever since, so I owe a lot of people a lot.

Red West: One of my fondest memories with Elvis - well we had a lot of fun! We'd go down to the Gulf Coast and go fishing. We almost burned the golf course down there one night. He loved to buy fireworks, and his cousin had a few too many and was smoking over this big box of fireworks and he dropped a cigarette in it. We were all behind trees and in sand traps while all these rockets were going off. Those were the fun days, but later on, it ceased to be fun when Elvis wasn't able to go out as much and do things.Red West; We were going to do Follow That Dream down in Florida. I came to Memphis to prepare for that role and met Pat who was Vernon's secretary, and we got married two weeks later, then we went on our honeymoon during that movie. Gordon Douglas, the director. knew I was on my honeymoon, and I think I ended up playing seven different parts, plus doubled Elvis in that movie. Gordon would throw things in just for me to do.

RSVP: Did Elvis ever give you any acting tips?Red West: No, I learned a lot by being on sets and watching people in Elvis' movies like Walter Matthau, Dean Jagger and Carolyn Jones. That was an education in itself. I just worked my way up gradually. I actually started out as a stuntman and still suffer from that.RSVP: So, you incurred a few injuries doing stuntwork?Red West: I was a stuntman on "The Wild Wild West," and I joked that I was the only guy in Hollywood who had his own parking space for an ambulance. My wife definitely showed up at the hospital a few times. One time she rushed out to the hospital and walked in the waiting room, and there was Lee Majors–he was a friend of mine. He was working on "Big Valley" when I was working on "The Wild Wild West," so he saw the ambulance and saw me. Then, he left his set to see if I was ok.

'Elvis - Love Me Tender; The Love Songs' new CD: Here are the covers of the new 'Love Me Tender' CD compilation that has been released to coincide with the DVD of the same name. Interestingly for collectors the CD features an alternate take of 'As Long As I Have You' - actually "Movie Take 8". (News, Source; Barry Mclean)

Elvis' Martin Guitar and Michael Jackson's outfits up for auction: A guitar played by Elvis Presley in his final Las Vegas show and a dazzling array of outfits worn by Michael Jackson are on offer in an auction of Hollywood memorabilia. The guitar Elvis played on his last Vegas gig is among the lots. Also up for grabs is one of the original whips used by Indiana Jones actor Harrison Ford during 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.' And Star Wars fans can bid on an original Stormtrooper helmet from the 1983 hit movie 'The Return of the Jedi'.
Elvis Presley's Martin D-28 guitar was played by 'The King' during a performance at the Las Vegas Hilton in December 1976.
Elvis, who died eight months later, gave the instrument to his bodyguard Sam Thompson in January 1977.
On the back of the guitar is some plastic residue where the belt on Elvis's jumpsuit melted because of the heat of the stage lighting.
Described as 'one of the most significant guitars to ever reach the market', the lot is expected to sell for up to £50,000.
The colourful Michael Jackson costumes were all worn by the young King of Pop and his brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine and Marlon during their 'Jackson 5' days.

The most expensive item of Jackson clothing is a red V-necked jumper encrusted with red rhinestones worn by Michael at the 1981 American Music Awards. Michael wore the jumper over the top of a white silk tuxedo collar and a black bow tie as he accepted two awards for his first solo album 'Off The Wall'. That lot, which also features a white fedora hat with 'Michael Jackson' stamped in gold inside the hat band, is expected to sell for up to £36,000.
The Profiles in History auction also includes some stunning items from the silver screen including the bullwhip and the Stormtrooper helmet.
Both are expected to fetch up to £30,000 when they go under the hammer.
Joe Maddalena, 48, president of auction house Profiles in History, said: "This sale features 1,200 unique pieces of Hollywood history, from the silent era to modern sci-fi classics and everything in between. The two-day auction starts on October 8, in Calabasas Hills, near Los Angeles in the USA.

(News, Source;SanjaM/ElvisInfoNet)

Madonna equals Elvis with 11 top-selling albums in Britain: Madonna secured her 11th number one album in Britain yesterday when her greatest hits collection Celebration shot to the top of the charts — equalling Elvis Presley’s record.
The pop diva’s collection of 36 hits spanning her lengthy career knocked Muse’s The Resistance from the number one position in its debut week, the Official UK Charts Company said.
The singer has now matched Elvis Presley’s record of 11 number one albums for a solo artist in Britain, and is four behind The Beatles who hold the all-time record of 15 top-selling albums, according to the company, which compiles the weekly rundown.
Madonna also becomes the most successful female solo artist of all time in Britain with the most weeks at the top of the album charts 29 the most number one singles (13) and the most chart-doubles for topping the singles and album charts simultaneously — four, the company said.As EIN has previously stated, Elvis' early chart-topping albums and singles used to sell over 1 million - about twice the sales of top pop Albums of the time. Nowadays chart-topping CDs or full downloads can sell 10 million while Singles can get to number one on sales of only a few thousands. So the news-breaking comparisons of top "album sales" makes little sense within pop music history. (News, Source;SanjaM/ElvisInfoNet)

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